While You Were Missing
by YoAngel4E
Summary: Set during New Moon. After Edward leaves, Bella is miserable and Jacob is there for her until things go too far between them, leaving Bella in an unexpected condition. When Edward returns how will Bella explain her situation to him? B/E B/J pairings
1. Wanting Someone Who Won't Leave

Disclaimer: All characters and things associated with The Twilight Saga belong to Stephanie Meyers. This writing is for pure entertainment only.

Summary: Set during New Moon. After Edward leaves, Bella is miserable and Jacob is there for her until things go too far between them, leaving Bella in an unexpected condition. When Edward returns how will Bella explain her situation to him? B/E B/J pairings

**Chapter 1**

"I hate this." Bella moved forward, grabbing Jacob's short hair in her fist as he sat on her bed. She thought she had lost him a few days earlier, just as she had lost Edward months before. She thought both of them had abandoned her, but Jacob had come back and Edward had not. In the back of her mind, Bella knew Edward would never return.

"I hate what they have done to you." Bella continued to tell Jacob. She just wanted her old friend back, she wanted desperately to hold onto some piece of hope, and that's what Jacob was to her.

Jacob, instead of responding, grabbed Bella's wrist, inspecting the scare from Edward's bite that had saved Bella almost half a year ago. He frowned and looked up at her.

That was when Jacob explained what had happened to him, all he had to do was remind Bella of the story he had told her months back of his people and "the cold ones". She knew, she understood, she had seen it in the wolf's eyes earlier that day in the woods.

"I should go." Jacob said after a moment of silence. "I don't want anyone to start looking for me."

"Don't go." Bella found herself saying all too quickly. She didn't want Jacob to leave. In some sick twisted way, knowing he was a werewolf now, made her feel so close to him because he was different, just like Edward had been. In a way, Jacob reminded Bella of Edward.

"Bella…" Jacob started, but was cut off as Bella threw her arms around his neck.

"Please, don't go." Bella hugged him, feeling the heat radiate from Jacob's muscular body. Eventually she pulled back. "Please…"

Jacob took a sharp breath, his eyes drifting to the dream catcher he had given Bella for her birthday that was attached to the headboard of her bed. "I…"

Before Jacob could finish his thought, or Bella had full consciousness of what she was doing, she found herself pulling Jacob's lips close to hers, kissing him fiercely. Jacob didn't object to the kiss, and Bella was glad. That kiss made her feel alive again.

After a moment, their lips parted.

"What…" Jacob seemed confused.

"Just…don't leave." Bella pulled Jacob in for another kiss and he leaned into her, easing her onto her bed.

Jacob kissed Bella's neck, and it reminded her of Edward, and then he kissed her forehead, and it reminded her of Edward. She closed her eyes, imagining her pale-faced and flawless vampire. Jacob then kissed her lips, and the warmth of his breath caused Bella to open her eyes, realizing Edward was nowhere to be found, it was just her and Jacob.

Bella realized in that moment, that maybe this was how it was supposed to be. Maybe knowing Edward, what he was and what world he lived in, would make it easier for her to understand Jacob now. She pulled away from another one of Jacob's kisses.

"Don't leave me." Bella breathed into Jacob's ear.

Jacob smiled at her. "Never." He moved to kiss her again, but Bella tilted her head, and he kissed her neck, immediately Jacob took it as a sign he had gone too far. He staggered back. "I…I'm sorry…Bella…"

"No." Bella realized what Jacob was thinking. "Don't be." She stood, realizing that maybe Jacob was her answer; he certainly stopped the pain that entered her mind and heart every time she thought of Edward. Even if he wasn't the answer, she wanted some sort of connection, some sort of link to Edward's world of the supernatural and to her Jacob was that link. She slowly lifted her shirt over her head.

Jacob stood there, visibly shocked. After a moment, realizing Bella was now standing in front of him in nothing more than her bra and underwear, he found the strength to speak. "What…Bella…what are you doing?"

"Don't…" Bella started, her thoughts moving far too fast in her head for her to fully understand. _What am I doing? _She asked herself. She glanced over at Jacob, his half clothed body looking so muscular and full of life. _Life. I want mine back. _She knew what she was doing. Her life had left with Edward, and now she needed some part of it back. "I want….I want this, Jake…"

Jacob swallowed hard; this was not how he had pictured his first time, especially not after telling the girl moments early he was a monster. "Are…are you...sure?"

Bella nodded all too quickly, and before she could think another thought of Edward she jumped into Jacob's muscular arms, and he pulled her down onto her bed, placing her down gently, and kissing her neck softly before removing his own pants and climbing in with her.

The next morning, Bella slowly woke up. Still half asleep, she felt another body in bed next to her and rolled toward it. Her half conscious mind told her it was Edward, her Edward, he was back. She smiled at the thought until her face connected with the bear, muscular chest laying next to her. The body was warm. She opened her eyes, looking at the skin; the skin was tan. Quickly, Bella sat up to see Jacob Black asleep next to her. She was in shock, and then all the images from the previous night rushed into her head. She could see Jacob kissing her, and holding her, and undressing in front of her. She felt his body as he showed his love for her, and she could feel the safety she had felt laying in his arms afterwards.

Bella was horrified with herself. She couldn't believe what she had done. She had always dreamed that Edward would be the only one she ever physically loved, and yet, as she sat in her bed, taking in the fact that both she and Jacob were naked, she realized her dream was over. Edward would not be her first; Edward would never return.

Still, the notion of moving on to Jacob so quickly made Bella feel selfish; she had wanted to hold onto her image of Edward being the only one she could ever love a little longer. _Love._ Did she even love Jacob? Bella was unsure. She had feelings for him, but they weren't the same as the ones she had for Edward.

She sighed, studying the sleeping werewolf in her bed. Jacob was very striking, built so sturdy and he had a great smile. Bella knew all of this, and could not fight her physical attraction to Jacob. Still, the emotional connection to Jacob was nowhere near what it had been to Edward. She and Jacob were great friends, she knew him, but he didn't make her feel the way Edward had made her feel. Jacob didn't drive all of her senses wild.

"Maybe that's not what love is…" Bella whispered to herself.

Her whisper, however, was enough to wake Jacob from his sleep. He slowly rubbed his eyes, letting out a loud yawn before opening his eyes. Immediately he saw Bella sitting up next to him, holding the sheets to her breast and he jumped back, bashing his head against the head board of Bella's bed.

"Be careful." Bella reached out instinctively for Jacob as he rubbed the back of his head.

"Bella…what…" Jacob looked around frantically, trying to make sense of why he was in bed, naked, with Bella Swan. Not that he was complaining, just confused.

"Jacob…we…uh…" Bella's words fell flat.

Jacob's eyes suddenly grew wide, and Bella realized she did not have to tell the werewolf what had happened the night before. He remembered.

"Wow…" Jacob laughed nervously. "This is…uh…weird…" He laughed again.

"Yeah." Bella nodded in agreement, her eyes not meeting his.

After a beat, Jacob rubbed his forehead. "Well…I…uh…I guess I should go." He smiled at her.

She loved his smile. Bella had always loved Jacob's big smile. "Okay…sure."

Jacob took another deep breath and then motioned to his boxers, which were next to Bella on the bed. "Could you hand me those?"

"Sure….right…" Bella snapped out of her trance-like state, grabbing the boxers and handing them to Jacob.

Bella watched Jacob slip his boxers on and then climb out of bed, every one of his muscles bulging as he moved to pick his pants off the floor. She realized he moved with grace, similar to Edwards. _Its because he is a werewolf_, she thought to herself. Her feelings for Jacob were still very new and overwhelming for her to take in. She was attracted to him, she thought she might have even loved him, but how would she know? How could she love anyone after Edward had left her behind. He had loved her and she had loved him, but that had not been enough to keep him in Forks.

"Okay, Bells…so…" Jacob broke Bella's thoughts. "Are we going to act_ like_ this never happened?" He motioned at the bed. "Or…"

"Why would we ignore it?" Bella found herself saying before she really even registered his question.

"I am not sure…" Jacob looked down at his hands. "Because it's not what you wanted…"

Bella could see, in that instant, that Jacob really did care for her, and she knew parts of her cared for him. The rest of her, she decided, would have to learn to care for him, she decided. After all, Edward was never coming back, and she needed to move on. "Jake…I just want someone who won't leave." She said finally.

Jacob smiled back at her, relief seeming to fly across his tense muscles. He leaned down on the bed, close to her. "I will never leave."

Bella gave a tight lipped smile. She had heard that one before; Edward had told her the same thing and yet he had left. As Jacob inched closer to her, she realized all that was separating him from her naked body was the sheet she was still clutching in her hand. She hesitated and backed away from him slightly; she suddenly got the sense that what had happened between them was wrong and that trying to convince herself any different was only so she would not feel the pain of Edward leaving her. She loved Jacob, yes, but as a friend, she realized.

"What's wrong?" Jacob asked, immediately.

"I'm sorry, Jake." Bella looked away from him. "I…I can't."

"You can't…." Jacob seemed confused.

Bella looked back at him. "You're my best friend, Jake. I don't want to lose that."

"And you won't." Jacob was standing straight up now, realizing what Bella meant, and yet not wanting to accept it. "Bella, I know you think we are only friends but…"

"We are only friends." Bella said quickly.

"Friends don't kiss each other like you kissed me last night!" Jacob's voice rose as his temper did.

"Please Jacob…" Bella started.

"No, Bella!" Jacob seemed to growl. "You felt something last night…you had to have…otherwise what happened wouldn't have!"

Bella was thankful that Charlie had left for work already, seeing as how Jacob's voice was growing louder every minute. "Jake, I don't know what happened last night. I don't know why I did any of that…"

"Because you have feelings for me." Jacob told her.

"Yes…" Bella admitted. She felt for Jacob, but she loved Edward in a way she could never love Jacob. She knew she would only hurt Jacob in the end.

"So then why does it have to be more complicated than that?" Jacob seemed to calm down a little now.

"Because it is." Bella told him.

"Because of _him _because of the_ blood sucker_…" Jacob was angry again.

Bella hated when Jacob referred to Edward as that. She was angry now. "Yes, because of _Edward._"

"Well just remember, Bella, that he left you." Jacob told her, and then added. "But I won't. I'll wait for you." And with that Jacob was out the window.

The second Bella was alone, she began crying uncontrollably. What had she done?


	2. Waffles and Peanut Butter

Disclaimer: All characters and things associated with The Twilight Saga belong to Stephanie Meyers. This writing is for pure entertainment only.

Summary: Set during New Moon. After Edward leaves, Bella is miserable and Jacob is there for her until things go too far between them, leaving Bella in an unexpected condition. When Edward returns how will Bella explain her situation to him? B/E B/J pairings

**Chapter 2**

Bella sat in her room, just like she had when Edward had first left, only this time she was not grieving over the disappearance of the vampire; this time she was upset over the disappearance of the wolf. It had been almost three weeks since she had slept with Jacob, and after a few days of thinking it over, Bella realized that she had been harsh to the young werewolf. She realized that if Jacob cared about her, she should at least give him a chance.

So Bella had tried to call Jacob, she had left at least a dozen messages over two weeks before realizing he was never going to call her back. Jacob was mad at her, and she couldn't blame him. So instead of trying to deal with it, she shut herself off to the world. It was easier to feel nothing then all the pain that surrounded her.

A knock at the door broke Bella's concentration as she starred out the window. She said nothing, but heard the door slowly open.

"Bella…" Charlie poked his head in her room.

Bella turned slowly to see her father standing there. Still, she said nothing.

"Bella…honey…you can't stay up here like this." Charlie said, slowly entering the room.

"Like what?" Bella asked, turning her gaze back to the window.

"Like this. You're acting like someone died." Charlie told her.

Bella said nothing.

"Look, I know you and Jacob got in some kind of argument, but Billy said Jacob isn't mad at you…" Charlie said.

"Oh, he isn't?" Bella snapped her head around quickly. "Then why hasn't he returned any of my phone calls?"

"He is out camping up near Canada. Billy said he left two weeks ago. He should be home soon." Charlie explained.

Suddenly, thoughts of Victoria filled Bella's mind, and she realized Jacob had not been ignoring her, instead he was out hunting Victoria down, trying to save her. She felt some of the anguish leave her body at this idea. Jacob didn't hate her. "Did Billy say when he would be back?"

"Soon, I think." Charlie told her. "He said he would make sure Jacob called you when he did get back."

"Okay." Bella smiled slightly at the sound of that. She had missed Jacob, dearly.

"Now, there is that smile I like to see." Charlie smiled back at his daughter before getting up and leaving her room.

As Bella watched her father leave her room, something on her desk caught her eye. She stood, slowly, moving toward it. She picked it up and took a deep breath. It was the picture Alice had taken of her and Edward on her 18th birthday. She studied it for a moment. Edward looked perfect in it, flawless as always. She missed him, and looking at the picture only made the feeling of loss more real to her. She sighed, pulling open a drawer and tossing the picture in it.

_Out of sight, out of mind._ She thought to herself. She then turned and made her way out of her bedroom and down to the kitchen. She realized she was starving, and now found it much easier to concentrate on herself, knowing Jacob wasn't really mad at her.

It had been almost a month since Jacob had slept with Bella; but she had been on his mind every second of every day as he hunted Victoria down. After weeks of searching, he and the wolf pack never did find the vampire however and Sam finally decided it was time they went home. This frustrated Jacob because he wanted to keep Bella safe.

Still, Jacob found himself wandering up to his front porch before dawn and opening the door slowly. Immediately, he found his father Billy in his wheelchair watching TV.

"You're finally back." Billy smiled at his son.

"Yeah." Jacob said. He was tired; he just wanted to sleep.

"How did it go?" Billy asked.

"Not good." Jacob said. "We never found the vampire."

"Well, maybe she took off then." Billy said, simply. "Besides, you have bigger things to deal with right now."

"Like what?" Jacob raised an eyebrow at his father.

"Like a certain girl who has called looking for you over half a dozen times the past month." Billy said.

"Bella?" Jacob couldn't help but smile.

"Yes." Billy nodded, smiling back at his son. He knew how much Jacob cared about Bella.

"I have to see her!" Jacob immediately found strength he did not know he had and fought the urge to sleep off.

"Its four in the morning." Billy reminded Jacob.

"I don't care." Jacob told his dad, turning and running out of the house and in the direction of Bella's home. If she had called that many times, he knew she was no longer mad at him for what had happened between the two of them.

Jacob ran the whole way to the Swans' house, making it there faster than he ever had before, even by car. Of all his new werewolf abilities, he loved his speed the most. He noticed, as he approached the driveway, that Charlie's squad car was already missing, meaning he had left for work. Jacob smiled knowing Bella was the only one in the house.

Jacob quickly climbed the tree outside Bella's room and went straight through her opened window. He landed on her floor silently and smiled, seeing her asleep in bed. She was beautiful to him. He took a seat at the chair at the end of her bed and just watched her sleep soundly, knowing she would be awake in a few hours for school.

And Jacob was right. Two hours later, Bella's alarm clock went off and she lazily opened her eyes.

"Morning, beautiful." Jacob said, from his seat at the end of her bed.

"Ah!!" Bella immediately jumped back in her bed. Upon realizing it was only Jacob, she calmed down. "Geez, Jake! You scared me half to death!"

"Sorry." Jacob apologized immediately, looking down at his hands.

"Don't be!" Bella's voice was light, causing Jacob to look back up at her. "Come here!" She held her arms out for a hug.

Jacob smiled at her and moved quickly to her side, taking her in his strong arms. "I missed you, Bella."

"I missed you too." Bella told him as he released her from his grasp. "I thought you were mad at me when you didn't return my calls…"

"Sorry…I was in…" Jacob started.

"I know, Billy told Charlie you were camping. I figured you were after Victoria." Bella told him.

"Yeah." Jacob nodded. "I was. We didn't find her though."

"Oh." Bella was worried for a second, knowing how dangerous Victoria could be.

"We will though." Jacob took her hand in his. "I promise."

"I believe you" Bella nodded at Jacob.

"So why did you call so much while I was away?" Jacob asked.

"I thought we needed to talk…" Bella started.

"About…what?" Jacob asked.

"About what happened." Bell couldn't look him in the eye. "Between us. I think I may have been too hasty with you."

"What do you mean?" Jacob's voice was hopeful. He wanted Bella to tell him she loved him more then anything.

"It's just…everything is so confusing for me right now, and my feelings for you are so new…I just didn't know what to do with them." Bella confessed. She loved Edward, she knew that, but as time passed and he did not return she began to wonder if Jacob was her answer.

"Bella." Jacob caressed her cheek with his hand. "I know things are hard for you right now with what_ he_ did to you, but I am not_ him_."

Again, Bella hated when Jacob referred to Edward as "he" or "him" instead of using his name, but she knew that was something she would never change about Jacob. "I…I know you're not."

"Good, because…" Jacob stopped as he saw Bella's hand fly to her mouth, and the color drain from her face. "Bella, are you okay?"

Without answering his question, Bella lunged out of her bed, passed Jacob and straight into the hallway bathroom where Jacob could hear her immediately begin to throw up.

Jacob was at Bella's side in a moment's notice, holding her hair back. He said nothing as she continued to vomit. After a few minutes she seemed to stop and he spoke. "Not feeling well?"

Bella said nothing, closing her eyes and leaning back into Jacob's hot chest. For a split second she had wished it was a cold, hard chest of another beast. Vomiting had made her go into a cold sweat, and the heat from Jacob was not helping, but she knew if it had been Edward behind her, the coldness of his skin would have surely made her feel better.

"Bella?" Jacob asked, breaking her train of thought.

Bella opened her eyes slowly, half hoping to see Edward when she did, but only finding Jacob starring back down at her, clearly concerned. "I am fine, Jake." She shook her head. "I must just have caught a cold or something."

Jacob nodded, accepting what she said as fact. "Well, why don't you shower and we will get you back to bed."

Bella nodded as Jacob helped her to her feet. "Thanks."

"Sure. I'll be in your room if you need me." Jacob nodded, heading out the door.

Bella sighed, once the door closed behind her and turned to pull her clothes over her head. She did not feel sick, she had felt nauseous but it had passed and now she felt much better, actually she was hungry. She was craving some waffles; she would have to get Jacob to make her some when she was done showering.

Jacob sat down on Bella's bed. He was worried she was sick and that she would need to rest for the next few days. He didn't want to have to be away from her for that long. He leaned back into her bed, closing his eyes, and imagining Bella in his mind.

Jacob must have slipped off to sleep because the next thing he knew, he felt someone nudging his shoulder. He opened his eyes to see Bella standing over him, a towel wrapped around her.

"Sorry." Jacob sat up. "I was tired."

"Its cool." Bella smiled slightly at him.

"How are you feeling?" Jacob asked, climbing off of Bella's bed.

"Cold." Bella nodded to the fact that she was only wearing a towel. "And hungry."

"Hungry?" Jacob was surprised. "But you just threw up."

"I know." Bella told him. "And now I am hungry." She turned to her closet. "And cold."

"Well, get some clothes on." Jacob told her. "And I will head down to the kitchen to cook you up something. Anything in particular?"

"Waffles." Bella said instantly, and then added. "With peanut butter."

"Peanut butter?" Jacob raised an eyebrow.

Bella just nodded quickly, wondering herself why she was all of the sudden craving peanut butter. She usually hated peanut butter.

"Okay." Jacob nodded. "I'll see you downstairs in a few." And with that he pulled the door shut, leaving Bella alone.

Bella continued to wonder about her strange sudden want for peanut butter as she dressed herself and then sat at her desk, brushing her hair out.

Bella made her way into the kitchen a few minutes later to find Jacob busy over the waffle maker Charlie had bought when Bella had moved in. She moved directly to the table to sit, suddenly feeling tired.

"Almost done." Jacob smiled over at Bella.

"Good." Bella mumbled, starting to feel as though she was getting a head-ache. She quickly leaned her arm on the table, and then placed her head in her hand.

"You okay?" Jacob asked, placing the plate of waffles in front of Bella.

"Yeah. I don't know what's wrong with me." Bella told him as she felt her stomach churn again. She stood quickly, thinking she was going to be sick, but instead felt all the blood rush to her head, and then everything went black.


	3. She is WHAT?

Disclaimer: All characters and things associated with The Twilight Saga belong to Stephanie Meyers. This writing is for pure entertainment only.

Summary: Set during New Moon. After Edward leaves, Bella is miserable and Jacob is there for her until things go too far between them, leaving Bella in an unexpected condition. When Edward returns how will Bella explain her situation to him? B/E B/J pairings

**Chapter 3**

_Edward walked through the meadow toward Bella, his skin sparkling like diamonds in the sunlight and his grin as big as she had ever seen it._

"_Edward?" Bella called out to him._

_Suddenly, his facial expression changed. "Why Bella?"_

"_Why what?" Bella asked._

"_Why won't you come to me?" Edward asked her._

"_I will! You never asked." Bella found herself saying back to him._

"_I am asking." Edward held his hand out to her. "Come with me."_

_Bella tried to move, but found that something was holding her back. She turned to see Jacob standing next to her, smiling down at her, but holding her in place._

"_Jacob, no!" Bella tried to pry Jacob's hand off her arm but it would not budge._

_Jacob said nothing he just continued smiling at her._

"_If that's your choice…" Edward's voice seemed sad, as he slowly began to walk away._

"_No! Edward wait!" Bella tried to run after him, but found she was unable to move._

And then Bella woke up with a gasp, her eyes focusing on the white walls. Where was she? She knew immediately she was not home, and then she felt something in her hand. She looked down to see an IV sticking out of the top of her hand. She realized immediately she was in a hospital.

"You're awake." Jacob's voice came from the corner of the room.

Bella immediately looked in the direction of Jacob's voice to see Jacob, Charlie, and Billy all in the corner of the room. Jacob and Billy were both smiling at her, but Charlie seemed angry.

Bella dismissed the look on her dad's face though, unsure of what she could have possibly done to make him mad. "What happened?"

"You passed out in your kitchen." Jacob told her. "So I didn't know what to do, so I brought you to the hospital."

"Oh." Bella remembered now what had happened earlier.

"Anyway, the doctor said you were…fine." Jacob said after a moment of silence.

"Really?" Bella was surprised, remembering how she had been throwing up all morning.

"Well, you're not dying." Charlie told her, and then stood. Clearly frustrated about something, he stormed out of the room.

"I'll go talk with him." Billy said, rolling his wheelchair out after his best friend.

"What is wrong with him?" Bella asked Jacob.

Jacob just laughed nervously, sitting on the edge of Bella's hospital bed. He wanted to tell Bella, he had been practicing since the doctor had told them, but now that she was awake and starring at him, he was at a loss of words.

Charlie stood, pacing outside of Bella's hospital room as Billy wheeled out next to him, shutting the door behind him so that Bella could not hear them speaking.

"Charlie, calm down." Billy said. "Bella just woke up, she doesn't need this right now. You need to calm down."

"I can't." Charlie didn't stop pacing. "How could she do _this_? How could she let _this_ happen?"

"You need to talk to her, but you can't be angry like this. It will get you nowhere." Billy tried to calm his friend.

"How can I talk to her? How do you just talk about this kind of _thing_?" Charlie had stopped pacing now.

"For all you know, Bella doesn't even know yet." Billy said.

"Of course she knows. She has to know." Charlie said.

"You really think so? You really think she would have been so calm about all that had happened today if she knew?" Billy asked.

Charlie thought for a moment. If Bella knew what was going on, she certainly would not have been acting so nonchalant about fainting and she certainly wouldn't have thought she was sick. Immediately, it dawned on him, she had no clue. "She doesn't know." He said flatly.

"I know that." Billy almost rolled his eyes. "I just said that."

Charlie shook his head. "Well once she does know, I am going to find out who did this to her…and then I am going to kill him."

"Oh, that will be great." Billy joked. "But hey, you are the sheriff, you can do what you want I guess."

Charlie smiled at his friends comment, and for a second, calmed down a little. He was glad Billy was there with him to deal with all that was going on right now. He knew he needed the Black family, and so did Bella, if they were going to get through this.

Bella was trying to read Jacob as he sat on the end of her hospital bed. She could tell he wanted to say something, but was clearly struggling to get it out. After a few minutes of silence, and watching the werewolf almost talk to himself, Bella could not take it anymore.

"Jake, what is it?" Bella finally asked, she was now sitting up in her hospital bed.

"When were you going to tell us?" Jacob finally asked.

"Tell you what?" Bella was confused. What was Jacob talking about?

"The doctor told us. He said it was why you fainted, sometimes that stuff happens." Jacob continued, ignoring her question. "He had to run some tests when you got here, and he told us…about your…_condition_." Jacob seemed to be chocking on his words as he looked up at her. "How long were you going to hide it?"

"Hide what?" Bella was getting frustrated now, and found her voice to come out harsh. "What are you talking about?"

Suddenly Jacob realized that Bella had no clue what he was saying to her. He swallowed hard. "You…you don't know?"

"If I did do you think I would be sitting here so confused?" Bella snapped, unsure where that came from. She wasn't mad at Jacob he hadn't done anything wrong.

"Bella…you're…you're pregnant." Jacob managed out, unable to look her in the eye as he said it. His gaze averted to her hands.

Bella was in shock, her mouth hanging open. She was what? _Pregnant._ Her mind raced. _How? When? Edward. _"Edward…" She said his voice in almost a whisper.

But Jacob heard the whisper, his werewolf senses easily detecting it. "What about Edward? Did he do this to you? Is he back?" Jacob stood quickly, his temper soaring and his hands clenching into fists as he moved closer to Bella, towering over her.

"What?" Bella was shocked by Jacob's sudden anger. "No. Edward…I haven't seen him since he left…" She looked down at her stomach; it was flat, making it hard for her to understand what Jacob had told her moments earlier.

"I'm sorry, Bella." Jacob sighed, pulling a chair up next to her bed and taking her hand in his. "I shouldn't have yelled. I am sorry."

Bella just nodded, trying hard to avoid the onset of tears she felt rising in her as the reality of the situation began to kick in, but it was no use, and the tears came. "Oh God…" Her chest heaved.

"Bella, it's okay." Jacob told her. "It will be fine." He moved and held her in his arms.

Bella cried for a long time, Jacob wasn't sure how long, but eventually her tears did stop, and she pushed away from him, leaning back down into her bed, and pushing her hair out of her face.

"Bella…" Jacob again could not look at her. "I have to ask…I…I need to know…"

"What?" Bella wouldn't look at him, her head was still grasping the idea of being pregnant, and she had a feeling she knew what Jacob was going to ask; she didn't want to see the look on his face when she answered.

"Am I…is it…" Jacob glanced at her stomach, and then back at her. "Am I the father?" His voice came out shakier then he had planned.

Bella sighed, closing her eyes and allowing a single tear to fall down her cheek. "Yes." The words felt like poison leaving her lips. She loved Jacob, but she wanted to be with Edward forever; how could she have done this to Edward? Even if he had left her behind, she couldn't have thought of a worse way to betray him then to get pregnant with another man's baby. Not just any man's baby either, a werewolf's.

"Are…are you sure?" Jacob's voice was very shaky now.

Bella opened her eyes to see that the color had drained from Jacob's beautiful skin and he was almost as pale as she was now. The sight would have made her laugh had it been in any other circumstance. "Yes. Jacob, you're…you're the only person I have ever been with…" She closed her eyes again.

"Really?" Jacob sounded proud of himself for a moment.

"And you are going to be the last person, if I can help it." Charlie had moved into the room and was going straight for Jacob, anger written all over his face.

"Charlie…I…" Jacob backed away instantly. Sure, he could have easily taken Charlie out with his werewolf strength but he never would. He deserved whatever Charlie was going to do to him.

"Charlie…please! Stop!" Bella cried out. She was upset enough, she didn't need her father trying to pound Jacob into the ground now.

"Listen to her, Charlie." Billy rolled his wheelchair in.

"Easy for you to say!" Charlie spat at his friend. "Your son is the one who did this to my daughter!"

"Charlie, it wasn't all Jacob and you know that!" Bella defended her friend, and now the father of her child. She was sick to her stomach, but she couldn't tell if it was morning sickness or the fact that she was pregnant with Jacob's child. This was never what she wanted; she wanted Edward. She had just used Jacob to take her pain away momentarily, and now she had made a mess of both of their lives.

"Bella…" Charlie was still angry, but seemed to calm down when he saw how upset Bella was. He sighed, digging his hands into his pockets.

"Charlie, I am sorry." Jacob stepped forward. "I never meant for this to happen."

Charlie just narrowed his eyes at Jacob.

"Well it has happened." Billy wheeled over to his son, shooting him an angry glance, letting Jacob know his father was much angrier then he seemed. "And now you are going to be a man about it."

"Yes." Jacob nodded, looking down at the ground.

Bella felt terrible. Jacob was too young to have to deal with this, she had destroyed his life and her own in the process, but she felt worse for Jacob then she did for herself. Her life was already screwed up, but his was not really, but now she had taken him down with her. And then she realized she had not only screwed their lives up, but she was about to screw up another life; the life inside of her. Instantly her hands went to her stomach. In all the commotion and confusion she had forgotten what pregnancies tend to lead to…babies. Suddenly, she began to cry again.

"Bella…" Charlie moved to his daughter, grabbing her in his arms. "It's okay…I am sorry we all got so upset…we are going to fix this."

"_Fix it_?" Bella pulled away from her father. "What do you mean? Bella hoped her father wasn't going where she thought he was. She would never, could never get rid of the baby. No matter how unplanned it was, she could not be a murder.

"I mean, however you want to handle….this…" Charlie looked at her stomach. "I will support you."

"I…I can't have an abortion…that's just not me." Bella told her father and watched as he nodded, understanding. Bella then turned her attention to Jacob. "But this isn't your fault either…don't feel like you're responsible…"

"The hell he isn't." Billy said.

Bella was surprised, Billy was usually calm but she could tell now by the glare he was sending in Jacob's direction that he was mad.

Jacob, for the first time since Charlie and Billy had come in, looked up at Bella, flashing her a small smile, he then turned to Billy and Charlie. "Could me and Bella get some alone time?"

Billy and Charlie glanced back and forth between Jacob and Bella and then both just sighed, and Charlie moved around the back of Billy's chair, wheeling him out of the room.

Once they were gone, Jacob moved back toward Bella, sitting on the side of her hospital bed. "Bella…I know this isn't what you wanted…or expected…but it's here, it happened." He was starring right at her now. "And it happened for a reason."

Bella closed her eyes. She felt as though she couldn't breathe. She was pregnant; she was going to be a mother. She wasn't sure how she felt about it, all she knew is her life had a new meaning now; she would have to forever worry about someone else. For some reason, however, as hard as she tried to concentrate on the idea that she was carrying Jacob's child, her thoughts drifted to Edward. She was worried, if she ever did seem him again, that he would be so disappointed in her decisions.

"Bella?" Jacob's voice snapped Bella out of her trance.

"Hmmm?" Bella opened her eyes.

"What are we going to do?" Jacob asked.

"Well…we are going to have a baby." Bella said, obviously.

Jacob smiled slightly. "I know that…I mean what are _we_ going to do?"

"Oh." Bella realized he was talking about the two of them. "What do you mean?"

"Well…I care about you Bella…" Jacob looked down at his hands then back up at her. "I…I think I love you. I have never felt like this about anyone before, and I know…I know you have some feelings for me."

Bella nodded slowly. AS much as she felt she was betraying Edward, she knew she did feel something for Jacob.

"And now…this baby…maybe it's a sign." Jacob said. "You know, a sign that you can move on from…._Edward_."

Bella realized it was the first time Jacob had used Edward's name. _Boy, he really is trying here_. She thought to herself. And then she realized what Jacob was saying made some sense. Maybe this was a sign, a sign that Edward would never come back and she needed to move on. "Maybe…"

"So give me a chance." Jacob told her. "Let me show you what it is like to be with someone who will never hurt you, and will never ever leave you." He took her hand in his. "I promise you that."

Bella closed her eyes, tears threatening them again. Jacob had just promised her he would never do the two things that Edward had done to her. _Edward._ Now the name brought a feeling of anger to Bella. She realized this was his fault. If he had never left her, she would have never slept with Jacob, and she would have never gotten pregnant. She opened her eyes to see Jacob starring at her. She knew her only option was to give him a chance. It wasn't like Edward was coming back to her. "Okay."

Jacob smiled at Bella's reaction and placed his hand on top of hers that she had rested on her stomach before leaning up and giving her a reassuring kiss on her forehead.

Edward sat, starring out the window of his smaller apartment overlooking Rome. Carlisle had bought it for him when he had asked to have some alone time from his family. The truth was, he had wanted the apartment to sulk in. He was not over Bella Swan, nor would he ever be over her. He loved her with every inch of his undead body. Everything reminded him of her. He tortured himself day in and day out with thoughts of her. He missed her more than anything.

The knock on the door startled Edward. No one had come to see him in weeks. He knew, immediately, it was Alice on the other side of the door. He could hear her thoughts. She was worried about something.

"Come in." Edward sad, not moving from his chair.

Alice quickly opened the door. "Edward."

"Alice." Edward raised an eyebrow at his sister. "What brings you here? I thought I told you all I wanted time alone."

"You did." Alice said. "And I respect that, but…I needed to come tell you."

"Tell me what?" Edward asked.

"I had a vision…it was of Bella." Alice said.

Immediately Edward was standing in front of his sister, grasping tightly onto both her shoulders, shaking her slightly. "What did you see?"

"Bella…she was in a hospital room." Alice said.

"Was she hurt?" Edward panicked. He couldn't imagine his sweet Bella being injured.

"I don't know." Alice said. "She was crying. I…I couldn't tell why."

"Was she in Forks?" Edward asked, loosening his grip on his sister.

"Yes." Alice nodded quickly.

"Okay." Edward moved to the door.

"Where are you going?" Alice asked.

"To Forks." Edward said, closing the door behind him.

"Finally." Alice was relieved that Edward was going back to Bella, but she was also worried about why Bella was in the hospital in the first place.


	4. Delays and Dates

Disclaimer: All characters and things associated with The Twilight Saga belong to Stephanie Meyers. This writing is for pure entertainment only.

Summary: Set during New Moon. After Edward leaves, Bella is miserable and Jacob is there for her until things go too far between them, leaving Bella in an unexpected condition. When Edward returns how will Bella explain her situation to him? B/E B/J pairings

**Chapter 4**

Bella had been home almost a week from the hospital and it was the first time she had been alone. Since the doctor had cleared her to leave either Charlie or Jacob had been by her side, refusing to let her out of their sight. Charlie had come around to the idea of being a grandfather while in the hospital; although Bella could tell he was still a little angry. Jacob, on the other hand, seemed to be thrilled at the idea of being a father, especially to Bella's child.

Bella was grateful for both of them, but she was glad to get some time to herself to just think. She knew she had at least a few hours to herself because Jacob had gone off on a run with the pack, and Charlie was at work, leaving Bella alone in her room.

She sighed, leaning back into her pillow as she lay in bed. Her hand absentmindedly found its way to her stomach. She was one month along in the pregnancy, but she already had a tiny bump. Since that wasn't exactly normal she chalked it up to the fact that the child inside of her was at least half werewolf.

Bella was getting used to the idea of being pregnant though. She had certainly not seen her life going in this direction, but she had also not seen herself apart from Edward. Of all people knew life was full of surprised. Plus, she liked the comfort of knowing no matter what happened that the baby she was carrying would always love her, never leave her.

The idea of Jacob was growing on Bella too. He had been so caring and attentive to her since she had met him, but after finding out she was having his baby, he had only made himself more available and loving toward her. He left himself open for her to love or break and she gave him credit for having enough courage to allow someone to hut him.

But Bella didn't want to hurt Jacob anymore; he didn't deserve it and she knew it. She loved Edward, but she knew if she could let Edward go she could learn to love Jacob, maybe just as much.

Bella continued to rub her hands over her slight baby bump, when suddenly her door came flying open and she jumped clear up.

"Sorry, Bells…" Jacob apologized. "I thought maybe you were sleeping, the house was so quiet."

"No, just thinking." Bella gave him a small smile as she watched him sit on the corner of her bed. "I thought you were out with the pack?"

"I was." Jacob said. "We patrolled and ran for awhile, and then the rest of the boys got hungry, so they headed home and I headed here."

"Got ya." Bella nodded, biting her bottom lip.

Jacob ignored Bella's lip-biting, it reminded him to much of a vampire. "So, how are my two favorite ladies?" Jacob patted Bella's stomach.

"You don't know if it's a girl, Jacob." Bella said. "It…it might be a boy." She placed her hand on top of Jacob's that lay on her stomach.

"Well, I hope for its sake it is a girl." Jacob smiled. "That way she can look as beautiful as her mother…" His eyes avoided Bella's directly. He was still unsure of how to act around her. He cared deeply for her, but she was still hard to read. Not that he could blame her; her world had completely turned upside down in a week.

"Thanks." Bella took his hand in hers. "He won't be horrible looking if he ends up like you, though." She meant that, even if she was unsure of where she wanted things to go with Jacob, she knew one thing, and that was that Jacob Black was sort of beautiful.

Jacob smiled at Bella, and then before he could help it, he kissed her. He expected her to push him off but she didn't, not at first, so he moved closer to her, pulling away immediately when he felt her body flinch. "Bella? Crap! Did I hurt you?" He looked her body over quickly.

"No." Bella nodded her head, pulling at a piece of her hair. "You just caught your hand on my hair."

"Sorry." Jacob sat back, embarrassed.

"Don't be." Bella slowly sat herself up in bed. She meant what she said to Jacob. She wasn't sorry he kissed her, at first she was unsure, but then she realized it felt good. He wanted her, she could tell by his kiss, and it felt good to be wanted.

"Anyway, Bells." Jacob started. "I was thinking…you start school again Monday, right?"

"Yeah." Bella looked away from Jacob this time, her smile fading. School was the last place she wanted to go back to. First, because everyone already thought she was crazy because of how she had been acting since Edward had left, and now because in a few months they would all know she was pregnant. The only thing she could be grateful about was that it was Friday, so she still had the weekend before she had to return to school.

"Well…I…I don't think you should have to do it alone." Jacob said

"I'm not alone." Bella looked down at her stomach. "I've always got someone with me now." She patted her stomach for emphasis.

Jacob smiled slightly. "Yeah, I know, but that's not what I am talking about."

"Well, what are you talking about?" Bella asked. "I am not a mind reader." _Not like Edward was._ She thought to herself.

"I am going to come to school with you." Jacob told her, after a moment. "I…I don't want to make you face everything alone, so I am transferring off the reservation school and going to school with you."

"Jacob…you don't have to." Bella told him. The truth was, she was ecstatic that he was going with her. She had been so worried about having to do it by herself, and was grateful that Jacob was really stepping up in light of their new situation. She could feel tears rising at the thoughtfulness of Jacob's gesture. She cursed her raging hormones.

"I want to." Jacob took her hand. "I would do anything for…_us…_all three of us." He grazed his hand over her stomach.

That was it; the floodgates opened and Bella started to cry uncontrollably.

Jacob looked confused, wondering what he had done to trigger her off. "Bella, I am sorry…"

"No." Bella shook her head, smiling through her tears. "I am not upset…just…overwhelmed…happy."

"You're…happy?" Jacob raised an eyebrow. "This is how you act when you're happy?"

"It's my hormones…" Bella slapped him playfully. "Jerk."

"Oh…right." Jacob smiled back. "Hormones."

"You did this to me so…" Bella joked again.

"Yeah…I…I know." Jacob looked down now, as if he were ashamed.

Bella realized she had hurt him. "Jake…please…please don't take that to heart. I was kidding around."

"But you were right." Jacob told her. "I did this to you." He motioned to her stomach.

"It's not like you did it without my help." Bella told him. "Besides, after the sudden shock, I am getting used to the idea."

"Really?" Jacob asked. The truth was, he was excited; he knew now, no matter what, he would always be in Bella's life.

Bella nodded. "Yeah. A baby…it's a new life…gives me something to look forward to. Almost like I am starting over."

Jacob nodded, smiling at Bella. She was beautiful, and strong. He couldn't even remember what it was like not being close to her. In that instant, he realized, no matter what, he would never hurt her and he would never let _anyone_ else come back and hurt her either.

* * *

Edward had originally intended on heading straight for Forks, but Alice had talked him out of it, saying she sensed Bella was still alive, so her hospital visit could not have been life threatening at the moment. Instead, Alice suggested they go to Carlisle and Esme's, where the rest of the Cullen's were. So that's where Edward and Alice now were, standing in the Cullen's living room in their small home in the South of France.

"So, what exactly is the problem?" Carlisle asked Edward. "Alice just ran out of here saying she needed to see you." He narrowed his eyes at Alice, agitated she would just take off like that.

"Sorry. It was important got to Edward." Alice said from her spot next to Jasper.

"Yes it was." Edward agreed, then turned back to Carlisle. "She had a vision…it was of Bella."

"Oh, please." Rosalie snorted from her seat on the couch, next to Emmett. "Still worried about the little mortal?"

Edward shot Rosalie a glance that said he would kill her if she spoke again.

This time, Esme stepped forward away from Carlisle's side and next to Edward's, trying to calm him down. She knew how much Bella meant to him and how Rosalie's words must have hurt him. "What about Bella?"

"Alice said she was in a hospital." Edward looked down, as if he were chocking on the words.

"Do you think she is alright, Alice?" Carlisle asked. He cared for Bella very much. She had always been so kind to all of them, and he knew how much Edward loved her.

Alice shrugged. "I don't know. Bella's future has always been hard to read. She is alive…now anyway."

Carlisle nodded and then turned back to Edward. "What do you want to do?"

"I am going back to Forks." Edward said quickly. "I have to know if she is okay."

Carlisle nodded, he understood. "Well, then I suggest we vote."

"On what?" Emmett asked. He was always confused.

"On going back to Forks." Carlisle said.

"All of us?" Jasper asked, remembering that he was the reason they had left Forks in the first place.

Carlisle nodded. "We are family." He turned to Edward. "And Bella is like family to us. I will return for her sake."

"I don't want to drag you all into anymore of mine or Bella's mess." Edward said.

"You're not, sweetheart." Esme told him. "We care about Bella too."

"I want to go!" Alice said, all too energetically.

"Then so do I." Jasper said, realizing he had little choice if Alice wanted to go.

Carlisle nodded. "Emmett? Rosalie?"

Emmett nodded, eagerly, but then turned to Rosalie. "Unless you don't want to…"

"My vote won't count anyway." Rosalie rolled her eyes.

"Then it's settled." Carlisle turned to Edward. "We will all go back to Forks."

Edward nodded. He was grateful he would have his family with him, but it was not as comforting as he had hoped it would be. He was too worried about Bella right now to concentrate on anything else. He knew, if she was hurt or sick, if there was any chance he would lose her, he would kill himself. He could not live knowing she wasn't alive.

* * *

Bella took a deep breath as she made her way out of her house and into her truck. It was her first day back at school, and she was so nervous that everyone would be able to tell she was pregnant. True, her bump was noticeable to no one but herself, really, but she still had put on a huge grey hoodie in case anyone could tell.

Jacob pulled the door to her truck open, startling Bella. She had almost forgotten he was going to school with her. "Ready little momma?" Jacob smiled.

"Don't call me that." Bella snapped quickly, looking down at her stomach which was hidden under her sweatshirt.

"Bella, relax." Jacob took her hand, squeezing it. "No one can tell you are pregnant."

"Are you sure?" Bella looked up at him.

"Positive." Jacob smiled back at her.

Bella nodded, hoping he was right as she pulled the car out of her driveway.

It turned out that Jacob had been right. No one had noticed she was pregnant at all, they were more concerned with why she had been in the hospital and who Jacob was. Jacob told them all he was a friend of Bella's and that she had fallen at home and thus the reason she was in the hospital. He kept it very simple and straight forward, and by the end of the day no one really cared that Bella had been missing at all.

"Well, that wasn't so bad." Bella said, walking out to the school parking lot, next to Jacob.

"Told you." Jacob said.

Suddenly, Bella's foot hit a patch of ice and she went forward. She was embracing herself for the harsh fall she expected and was wondering if the baby would be okay, but she never felt her butt connect with the ground. She looked up to see that Jacob had caught her.

"You need to be careful, Bells." Jacob stood her back up. "Black ice is dangerous. We can't afford you falling right now." He eyed her stomach, putting emphasize on the baby as the reason she could not fall.

"I know." Bella nodded in agreement, grateful Jacob had been next to her. "Help me out." She grabbed his hand, holding it tight and so if she was to fall again he could grab her.

Jacob just looked at their entwined fingers and smiled back at her, slowly helping her to her truck and then climbing in the passenger seat.

Once in the car, Bella grabbed for Jacob's hand again, and started driving. She didn't know why, but she liked the feeling of holding onto Jacob. His body was always so warm and it sent heat throughout her cold body. She knew she could get used to holding his hand.

They drove in silence for awhile, and then Jacob spoke up as they neared his land. "Bella? Can…can I ask you something?" His voice had not come out as steady as he wanted it to.

"Sure." Bella nodded, pulling into Jacob's driveway and putting the car in park. She then turned to him, pulling her hand out of his to rest it on her stomach. "What's up?"

"Well…" Jacob took a deep breath. "I wanted to ask you because…I mean, we are going to have…a…a baby…so I was wondering…if I could maybe…" Jacob was stuttering now.

"Jake, spit it out." Bella tried not to laugh at how clearly nervous Jacob was.

"I know you don't know how you feel about me, but I was wondering if I could ask you out to dinner maybe?" Jacob spit out extremely quickly, avoiding all eye contact with Bella.

Bella stared blankly at Jacob for a moment, trying to register and gather her own thoughts. Jacob had asked her out. She knew he had feelings for her, but in the back of her mind she had wondered if he would ever pursue them, or just ignore them. Here he was now, though, asking her. He wanted her. She loved the feeling of being wanted. And why shouldn't she say yes to Jacob? After all, she was having his child and Edward was never coming back. Edward had left her, Edward had not wanted her. But Jacob was always at her side, Jacob wanted her.

"Bella?" Jacob asked nervously. "If…if you want to say no you can…" He was accepting defeat.

"No." Bella shook her head quickly. "No, Jacob. I would love to go out sometime."

"Really?" Jacob couldn't help the smile that formed over his lips.

"Really." Bella nodded. "When were you thinking?"

"Tonight, maybe?" Jacob asked.

Bella thought for a moment. Charlie was working the night shift, so she would be home alone anyway. "Sure."

"Okay...okay great." Jacob smiled, getting out of the truck. "I'll be by around six."

"Okay." Bella smiled back at him, and then watched Jacob sprint up to his house, his beautiful muscles flexing with each step her took. Bella continued to smile as she pulled down the road and toward her house. She was happy for the first time in a long time, and excited. She placed a hand on her little hump of a stomach, realizing that for once, maybe her life was going to work out.

* * *

Edward stood, pacing in the airport as the rest of the Cullen's watched him from their seats. The Cullen's had made it to New York, but it seemed the weather in Washington was apparently terrible, and therefore all flights had been delayed.

"Edward, pacing back and forth is not going to get us to Forks any faster." Esme told him.

"This is stupid." Edward said. "I…I should just go, run. I would make it there faster anyway."

"Yeah, and get caught by a million people along the way." Rosalie rolled her eyes.

"Yeah man, that just is stupid." Emmett tried to lighten the mood.

Edward as immediately at Emmett's throat. "I am not stupid."

"Edward, calm down." Carlisle pulled Edward away from Emmett. "You're making a scene."

"Then let me go. Let me run. I need to get to Bella." Edward said.

"She is fine right now, Edward." Alice told him. "So calm down. We will get there as soon as we can."

"Right." Carlisle looked over to Jasper. "Jasper, could you?" He motioned for Jasper to come and comfort Edward.

"Sure." Jasper moved forward, sending a calming sensation through Edward.

Edward tried to fight it at first. He wanted to stay mad and heated, that way he was sharp and would make it to Bella quicker, but after a few moments he gave up, taking a seat next to Esme and sighing. He knew he would get on the plane with the rest of his family so as to not as suspicion. He just hoped Bella was alright.

* * *

Bella was excited as she got dressed for her "date" with Jacob. She wasn't really sure if it was a true date, but it felt like one to her, and it gave her something else to think about aside from her pregnancy and Edward.

Bella looked through her closet, trying to decide what to wear, and found her thoughts drift to Alice. Alice would be so proud she was concerned with what she was wearing. It wasn't that Bella was worried about looking nice, she was worried about her hump showing. If possible, she noticed as she threw another shirt over her head, her hump had grown in the past week. That made no sense; she was only a month pregnant.

"I really need to figure out what a werewolf pregnancy can do to you." Bella said to no one but herself.

She finally settled on a blue three-quarter shirt, although her bump did show a little, it was not as bad as any of her other shirts. She then bounced down the stairs to find Jacob and her father in the kitchen. Charlie had seemed to be less angry at Jacob these days, and was even talking to the boy again.

"Hey." Bella said to both of them.

"Hey." Jacob smiled at her, moving toward her. "You look beautiful." He took her hands in his.

"Thanks." Bella blushed, looking down at her clothes.

"So you ready?" Jacob asked.

Bella nodded. "Sure. Where are we going?"

"I…I cooked dinner for us. At my place." Jacob told her.

"Wow. You cook?" Bella was surprised.

"Yeah." Jacob nodded with a smile.

"Well, it's not like you can do much more damage then you already have, Jacob." Charlie half-joked, pointing to Bella's baby bump. "So, if you could just make sure she is home at a reasonable hour…"

"Yes sir." Jacob nodded, and then took Bella by her hand, leading her out to her car. He had walked over, but he would drive them to his house. He helped Bella into the passenger seat, and then took his place in the driver's seat, smiling at Bella as he started the car. She looked perfect.

The pair drove in silence, but for once it wasn't awkward for either of them as they pulled up to Jacob's house, he took Bella's hand. "Thanks for coming over."

"Thanks for having me, Jacob." Bella smiled back at him.

"Well, I figured you would wanna eat." Jacob continued to smile, glancing at Bella's stomach. "You know…you're probably hungry with…" He motioned to her stomach.

"I am." Bella patted it for emphasize.

"Good." Jacob smiled and went to get out of the car, but Bella pulled him back. "Hey, Jacob, can I ask you a question?"

"Sure." Jacob nodded.

"I…well…this is probably going to sound stupid…but I am a little worried…about…" She motioned to her stomach. "About the…baby…" The last word made her want to gag. It was harder to get out then she had anticipated. She had rarely used it since she had found out she was pregnant, because to her, saying baby made it seem really real, and she wasn't sure how ready she was for that.

"What's wrong?" Jacob's smile immediately faded and he placed a hand on Bella's stomach.

"Noth…nothing." Bella stammered. "I don't think. Its just…its growing pretty fast, or pretty big. I don't think I should…" She lifted her shirt to show her hump. "A bump like this already."

Jacob raised an eyebrow. He knew little about pregnancy, but he also didn't see the bump as huge. "It looks okay."

"Jacob, I am a month pregnant. I shouldn't even be showing. Usually you don't until you're like four months…or something." Bella couldn't remember what she had read on line exactly.

"Okay, well I can ask my dad." Jacob said. "I mean…because I had the werewolf gene, so I can ask him about how my…my mom's pregnancy with me was." When he said mom, Jacob closed his eyes tight. He missed her.

"Thanks." Bella rubbed the top of his hand, knowing his mom was a soft spot.

Jacob opened his eyes. "No problem." He then hopped out of the truck and moved around to get Bella's door, helping her down and into the house.

Billy greeted them at the door, moving aside for Jacob and Bella to come in. "Bella! How are you?"

"Okay, Billy." Bella bent down to give Billy a kiss on the cheek.

"And my grandson?" Billy looked at Bella's stomach.

"Dad…it may be a girl." Jacob reminded his father as he hung up Bella's coat.

"Uh…good." Bella had been caught off guard by Billy's question, and found her hand slipping to her belly.

"Actually, Dad, we had a question." Jacob said, leaning against the door frame. "Bella thinks the baby is growing too fast…or too big or something." He motioned to Bella's stomach, not noticing that she was intensly blushing. "Is it because its half wolf or…"

Billy nodded. "Yeah. Its not going too fast, Bella." Billy told her. "Its just…wolf baby's tend to take a little longer then human's to develop."

"Longer?!" Bella thought she would pass out.

"No!" Billy motioned for Jacob to get to Bella.

Jacob responded with great speed and helped Bella to the couch, taking a seat next to her as Billy wheeled over in front of her. "Technically longer, but not really. It will be out in nine months just like a human baby."

"Oh…" Bella took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down.

"So then what are you talking about?" Jacob asked.

"He means that the wolf part needs to grow strong." Sam was at the door, followed by Paul and Jared. "So, the human part develops fast, so that for the last few months the wolf part has plenty of time to grow big and strong."

Bella shook her head, still slightly uncomfortable around the other members of the pack. "So…what I just get huge?"

"Not much bigger then a human baby." Sam took Bella's hand and kissed it. "And congratulations on the baby. It will be nice to have a little wolf running around."

"Yeah." Jared agreed. "Jacob hasn't shut up about it."

Bella looked at Jacob, smiling a bit. He really was excited to be a father.

"Shut it." Jacob growled at Jared.

"Easy, son." Billy motioned to Bella, reminding Jacob she was still there.

"What are you guys doing here?" Jacob changed the subject.

"Emily cooked us a big dinner so she sent us over to see if you wanted some." Sam said.

"Oh…I cooked me and Bella dinner…" Jacob started.

"So? You're too good to eat with the pack now." Paul clenched his jaw.

"No. It's just…I…" Jacob fumbled over his words, not wanting to upset Paul. He knew how quick tempered Paul could be.

"Relax." Sam said. "You don't have to come."

Jacob looked down, clearly in an awkward position.

Bella noticed Jacob's reaction and stood. "No. We will come."

"Good." Sam smiled at Bella. "Emily will be glad to not be the only girl." He then moved out of the house with Jared and Paul behind him.

"Bella, are you sure?" Jacob asked when the rest of the pack had left.

"Yeah." Bella nodded, tilting her head down. "I don't want to pull you away from the pack."

"Okay." Jacob nodded, taking Bella's hand and leading her to Sam and Emily's.

Once Bella and Jacob arrived, Emily immediately grabbed her in a hug. "Congratulations."

"Thanks." Bella said awkwardly.

"Come sit." Sam motioned to the table he, Jared, and Paul were already sitting at.

Jacob and Bella moved to the table, Jacob helped Bella into her seat and then sat down as Emily placed the last of the food on the table. Paul went to grab some, but Emily swatted his hand away.

"Ladies first!" Emily motioned to Bella. "She is eating for herself and one of your little kind. Let the girl get something before you all devour it."

"It's okay…" Bella didn't want to start a scene.

"No. She is right." Sam moved and passed a plate of steak to Bella. "Ladies first."

"Plus, we will eat it before you can get a chance." Jared joked.

"No one eats like you." Paul joked back.

"No one eats like Jacob." Jared said again.

"Isn't that the truth, Emily smacked Jacob's chest playfully and the motioned to Bella. "Good luck feeding him or any child of his. He eats us out of house and home."

Jacob blushed. "Thanks, Emily…"

Bella smiled to herself at Jacob, grabbing some food before passing the plate. Jacob was adorable when he was embarrassed. She looked around the table to see the other wolves and Emily all joking and laughing and realized that the pack was very similar to a dysfunction, but loving family.

Dinner went on and Bella began to really enjoy herself. The pack was nothing but nice to her, and Jacob really came out of his shell around them. They had no secrets, no lies, nothing they wouldn't say out loud. They all talked to Bella like she was one of them, not just a human, and they were all so excited for her child, making Bella actually excited, for the first time, about the baby. Bella slowly realized, she really liked being around the pack, and being around Jacob.

When dinner was over, everyone said their goodbyes, and Jacob helped Bella back into her truck and drove her home. He slowly pulled up to her driveway to see Charlie's car was park out front.

"Looks like your dad isn't home yet." Jacob motioned to the empty driveway.

"Yeah. He is working tonight" Bella nodded.

"Well." Jacob turned the car off, handing Bella her keys. "Thanks for coming tonight. Sorry we didn't have dinner alone."

"I had a great time." Bella said, and she meant it. She couldn't stop smiling.

"Really?" Jacob asked.

Bella nodded. "I did. It was wonderful, and your pack and Emily are so wonderful."

"Good." Jacob smiled. "I am glad you enjoyed yourself. I haven't seen you smile like this in a long time."

"I know." Bella nodded.

Jacob nodded back and then jumped out of the truck, moving to open Bella's door. He helped her down and smiled. "It…it meant a lot to me that you came tonight." His eyes twinkled down at her.

And suddenly, Bella didn't know why, it could have been because Jacob had been nothing but sweet to her since she had met him, or because she had had a wonderful night with him, or because she was carrying his child, or simply because he was beautiful, but she suddenly found herself pulled his lips toward hers and she kissed him.

The kiss lasted for a few minutes, finally breaking up so both Bella and Jacob could catch their breaths.

"Well…I guess you did have a good night." Jacob smiled, almost in a daze from the kiss.

"Stay over tonight, Jacob." Bella found herself saying. For some reason, she didn't want to be alone. "Charlie is working all night and…"

"Sure, Bella." Jacob said instantly. She didn't need to give him a million reasons why he should stay over.

Bella smiled, silently thanking him as she started walking toward her house.

"No you don't." Jacob grabbed her and picked her up. "Can't have you falling. Its icy out here." He motioned to the ground.

"Jake…" Bella half-pleaded, but couldn't keep the smile off her face. She felt safe in Jacob's arms. She hadn't felt safe in a long time.

With that smile, Jacob quickly sprinted in the house and up the stairs with Bella. Finally laying her down on her bed. "There you go. Made it here safe."

"Thanks." Bella smiled and then motioned to the other side of her bed. "I am going to get changed. You can sleep in here…if…if you want."

Jacob nodded after a minute. He had stayed over other nights, since finding out Bella was pregnant, but it had always been on the couch or her floor. He had never attempted to get back in her bed since the night they had slept together.

Slowly, now, he climbed under her sheets, waiting for her to return. A few minutes later she came out of the bathroom in a t-shirt and sweatpants and climbed into bed next to him. She then turned the light off and snuggled up close to Jacob, allowing his body heat to warm her up. She then gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Good night, Jacob."

"Good night, Bella." Jacob kissed the top of her head as it rested on his chest. He heard her breathing even out a few minutes later and realized she was asleep. But he could not sleep for the life of him. His mind was too focused on something else, too focused on her lying next to him, too focused on the kiss they had just shared outside her house. Jacob couldn't stop smiling.


	5. She Isn't Dreaming of Me Anymore

Disclaimer: All characters and things associated with The Twilight Saga belong to Stephanie Meyers. This writing is for pure entertainment only.

Summary: Set during New Moon. After Edward leaves, Bella is miserable and Jacob is there for her until things go too far between them, leaving Bella in an unexpected condition. When Edward returns how will Bella explain her situation to him? B/E B/J pairings

**Chapter 5**

Bella woke up to find the spot next to her in bed empty. She glanced around the room, looking for Jacob, but saw no one. It had been two days since her dinner with him and the pack, and since that night he had slept over every night. Charlie was working nights that week, so it was easy for Jacob to stay over without many questions.

Bella slowly sat up, noticing her baby bump appeared to have grown slightly. Jacob said no, but Bella thought it had. She couldn't imagine having to lug the extra weight around for eight more months.

Suddenly, a wave of nausea hit Bella full force, and she sprinted to the bathroom, barely making it before her morning sickness started up. It was the worst she had felt yet.

Jacob, who had been in the kitchen, immediately appeared in the door frame, holding her hair back for her until she was finished. He then helped her stand so she could brush her teeth.

"Thanks." Bella smiled weakly at Jacob.

"Sure." Jacob nodded. He hated to see her sick. "You feel better?"

"Yeah." Bella sighed, steadying herself against the corner. "I just…I don't feel like going to school."

"Okay." Jacob nodded. "So we won't go."

"We have to." Bella sighed.

"No we don't." Jacob took her by the hand and led her back into her bedroom, easing her down onto her bed. "We don't have to go anywhere if you're not feeling well." He squeezed her hand for emphasize.

Bella smiled and leaned her head against his shoulder. She felt safe with Jacob. He always knew how to comfort her. "I don't want you to miss school because of me."

"Bella, I would much rather spend the day with you then go to school." Jacob kissed the top of her head. "When you feel better we can eat breakfast and hit the beach." He motioned to the window. "It looks like it may be sunny for once."

Bella looked out the window, also noting the clear sky. It would be cold at the beach, but the sun would feel good on her skin. She turned back to Jacob. "That would be nice."

"Good." Jacob stood, kissing her hand as he did. "I made breakfast, so you get ready and come down."

Bella nodded and watched Jacob move out of her room. She then stood, slowly moving to the closet to find some clothes. As she was changing, she could see the small hump of her belly, and for some reason it made her smile. She ran her hands over her stomach; knowing there was a life in there somehow made her feel more important. As she thought of the baby, her thoughts drifted to Jacob. He was everything a girl could want in a boy, but would he ever be enough for Bella? He was good for her, she knew that, and she wanted to be good for him. She wanted a happy ending.

* * *

Edward and the rest of the Cullen's swiftly made their way off the plane and into the airport closest to Forks, Washington. It had taken them two days to get from New York, simply because the weather in Washington had been so bad, but it had finally cleared up, and the sun was even peaking around the clouds.

"I need to get to Bella." Edward said to his family as they made their way through the airport. "I've wasted too much time waiting to get here."

"Edward, don't you think we should all go home first and then…" Esme started.

"No." Edward stopped walking to face his family. "I need to go now."

"It's sunny out." Emmett pointed outside. "You can't just take off. People will notice you."

Edward looked helplessly outside and then back at his family. Emmett was right.

"No worries." Carlisle patted Edward on the back, reaching in his pocket and pulling a pair of sunglasses out. "Put these on." He then pulled the collar up on Edward's jacket so it was covering much of his neck and face. "Look down, move fast. When you make it to the woods, start running."

Edward looked up, nodding at Carlisle. He could see in Carlisle eyes that he genuinely cared for Edward and his situation with Bella. "Thanks."

Edward then turned and moved out of the airport, taking Carlisle's advice and keeping his head down. He walked to the edge of the airport property and into the woods. Once in the woods, Edward was able to run, and so he did, as fast as he could, all the way to Forks, heading in the direction of Bella Swan's house.

* * *

Bella and Jacob had finally made it down to the beaches of La Push. Jacob had insisted on carrying Bella down the rather steep incline, and between the sun, his wolf body temperature, and her weight, he was sweating by the time they reached the sand.

"Did you want to sit?" Jacob asked, gazing up at the sun in the sky.

"Sure." Bella nodded. She felt the sun warm her skin and it made her feel good. She missed the sun. She rarely had seen it the past few months, considering it barely came out, and prior to now she had spent so much time with Edward that even when the sun was out, she had avoided it. That was one of the reasons she liked being with Jacob, he could take her into the sun.

Jacob set a blanket down in the sand and then pulled another one out of the backpack he had packed, wrapping it around Bella. "It still isn't that warm out. Can't let you catch a cold."

"Thanks." Bella smiled as she sat, pulling the blanket around her and her unborn child. Jacob was right, despite the sun, there was a chill in the air.

"So…" Jacob sat down next to Bella, leaning back on his arms to flex every muscle. "You may have picked the best day to skip class."

"Well…thank the baby and the morning sickness it gave me…" Bella smiled at him.

Jacob smiled back at her, and then rolled onto his side, rubbing her small yet round belly. "Thank you, baby…"

Bella laughed at his action.

"What?" Jacob looked up at her, confused but smiling.

"You really love this baby, don't you?" Bella asked him, after a moment.

"Don't you?" Jacob asked.

Bella shrugged. She hadn't really thought about it. "I don't know. The idea…its so foreign to me."

Jacob sat up, furrowing his eyebrows. "Well…what if something happened to it?"

"Huh?" Bella felt her stomach drop at the thought. She was unsure when, but clearly at some point, she had become attached to the life inside of her. "What do you mean?"

"Just…what if something happened to it? Would you be upset?" Jacob asked.

Bella nodded instantly, surprising herself. "Yes."

"Then you love it." Jacob tilted his head toward her as he stared at the ocean.

Bella thought about his words for a second and then nodded again. "You're right."

"Of course I am." Jacob smiled at her.

"Jerk." Bella said playfully, slapping Jacob's arm, and realizing it hurt her hand. "Ouch!"

"Bella!" Jacob instantly became concerned, taking her hand in his. "You…you can't hit me…my skin is tough, hard…like stone."

"Should have known..." Bella shook her hand out. She was fine, it just stung a little. "Just like a vamp…" She started but then stopped.

"Like a vampire…" Jacob looked down. He hated that word, _vampire_. He hated it even more when Bella said it though, because he knew she was thinking about _him_, about _Edward_.

"Sorry…" Bella mumbled, her hand drifting to her stomach, seeing she made a mistake.

"Don't be." Jacob shrugged. "It shouldn't bother me so much. It's not like I expect you to just be over him…" Jacob couldn't say his name, he couldn't say Edward.

"Jacob!" Bella cut him off sharply, closing her eyes as she spoke. "I don't want to miss him anymore. I want to be over him. I hate that I love him. I just…I don't want to think about Edward anymore." She opened her eyes to see Jacob starring intensely back at her.

"Bella…just because I have feelings for you and because of the baby…" Jacob sighed. "I don't want you to feel like you owe me anything. Don't do this because of me…"

"I'm not." Bella told him, and she meant it. She didn't want to hurt so much and miss Edward so badly anymore. He was never coming back from her; she knew she had to accept it sooner or later.

"Bella…" Jacob shook his head, he wanted to believe her, but he wasn't sure if he could.

"Jake." Bella grabbed his hand. "I mean it. Maybe you were right…maybe this baby is a sign that what I thought I wanted or needed or what I thought Edward could give me wasn't right for me. Maybe…maybe this is right for me." She held up her hand that was entwined with Jacob's.

Jacob smiled softly at her, but said nothing. Instead, he pulled Bella in for a kiss, and she accepted it without hesitation this time.

* * *

Edward had made it to Bella's home faster then he thought possible, even with his vampire speed. He saw immediately that her truck and Charlie's car were both missing and he panicked, wondering where she could be. He checked his watch and realized she would still be at school. This made him feel a little bitter. He decided he would wait inside for her.

Edward quickly scaled the side of the Swan's house, and hopped through Bella's opened window. He assumed she had left it open because it was a rare, sunny day in Forks.

As Edward made his way into Bella's room, the soft scent of her shampoo raided his nostrils, and he embraced it, breathing in the air like a drug. Then, another smell caught his senses. He sniffed the air harder and immediately recognized it.

"Jacob…" Edward growled to himself. He knew Jacob had been turned into a werewolf and he had no idea why Bella was hanging around with him, unless she had no clue how dangerous Jacob was.

As Edward was trying to wrap his thoughts around Jacob and Bella, he heard Bella's truck pull up outside her house. He quickly moved to the window, to see Jacob jumping out of the car and then moving to help Bella out of the passenger side.

Edward growled at the image below him, but also seemed relieved. Bella looked fine. Still, Edward decided he would stay and keep an eye on Bella, at least while Jacob was around. He quickly jumped back out her window and perched himself high in the tree, so he could watch Bella and Jacob.

* * *

Bella allowed Jacob to walk her up the steps of her house, still noticing that Charlie's car was not there. She was a little grateful for that, she was tired and didn't really want to deal with her father at the moment. Being at the beach all day had taken a lot of energy from her pregnant body.

"Thanks for today, Jake." Bella smiled at him.

"Thanks for coming with me." Jacob smiled back, kissing her hand softly. "It was nice to be with you."

"Well, we enjoyed ourselves." Bella patted on her baby bump, hidden under her sweatshirt and laughed.

"Good." Jacob leaned in, and Bella pulled him closer, giving him a long kiss.

Finally, the pair broke apart and Bella smiled at Jacob. "See you tomorrow."

Jacob nodded. "Sure." He then watched Bella walk into her house, and jumped in excitement. He had finally done it; he had won Bella Swan over. He quickly took off for the woods, using his new found speed to get back to La Push.

* * *

Edward had watched Jacob kiss Bella and felt his entire body shake with rage. He was so angry at Jacob for laying one hand on his Bella. Edward clenched his jaw in rage, trying to figure out how he could kill Jacob without violating any treaty his family had made with Jacob's tribe.

Edward's thoughts were interrupted though as he watched Bella enter her bedroom. She did not seem him, she had no clue he was outside her window, carefully watching each move she made in her room.

He watched Bella sigh, grabbing some clothes from her closet before heading into the bathroom. He then saw her reemerge in sweatpants and a big t-shirt. Her outfit caught him off guard, since prior to now he had only ever see her climb into bed in a tank top and skimpy shorts. Still, he thought little of it as he watched her climb under the covers and switch her light off. He noticed then, she reached for something over her bed and pulled it down under the covers with her, but he could not see what it was.

Now, Edward thought something was really wrong with Bella, because it was just almost dinner time and she was going to bed. Maybe she was sick? What else would make her tired like that?

Edward sat outside the window for a few hours after that. He watched the sun set. He watched Charlie come home and check on Bella before going downstairs to watch TV. Once he was sure Charlie would no longer come up, Edward did the one thing he had wanted to do for months. He climbed back into Bella's room and stood in the corner, watching her sleep.

She looked like an angel to him, and he realized just how much he had missed her. She was smiling, and he couldn't help but wonder if she was dreaming of him. Edward was so consumed with her beauty he never noticed the slight bump of the sheets around her stomach. Edward, did, however notice something else. Bella was clutching something tight in her hand. He realized it was whatever she had pulled down from above her bed before she had drifted off to sleep.

Edward moved closer to her, trying to see what she held, and when he did, he thought he felt his heart break into a million pieces. Bella was clutching the dream catcher Jacob had given her for her birthday. Edward realized, she was not smiling, dreaming of him, she was dreaming of Jacob.

Everything made sense to Edward now; he was too late, Bella had moved on, and she had moved onto Jacob.

Edward looked down, chocking back sobs. He did not want to wake her, so before the sadness took over his body, Edward gracefully kissed Bella on the forehead and then took off through the window, his heart shattered.

A second later, Bella awoke, panting and feeling her head. She glanced frantically around her room, realizing she was alone. She sighed, leaning back into her bed. For some reason, she had dreamt Edward had kissed her forehead. The dream had brought such an intense, loving sensation through her body that she had woken up. She knew, a huge part of her wished the dream had been true. But she knew better, Edward was never coming back for her. She rolled over, rubbing small circles on her baby hump, trying to think of Jacob instead of Edward. She tried to go back to sleep, but found it almost impossible. She didn't know why, but she couldn't shake the dream, it had felt so real.


	6. How Dare You!

Disclaimer: All characters and things associated with The Twilight Saga belong to Stephanie Meyers. This writing is for pure entertainment only.

Summary: Set during New Moon. After Edward leaves, Bella is miserable and Jacob is there for her until things go too far between them, leaving Bella in an unexpected condition. When Edward returns how will Bella explain her situation to him? B/E B/J pairings

**Chapter 6**

One month had passed since the Cullen family had returned to Forks. One month had passed since Edward had returned from Bella's, and after that night, Edward had climbed the stairs to his room and talked to no one. He only left his room to hunt and the rest of his time was spent pining over Bella. Anyone who passed by his room could see that Edward was always busy doing something that would make him miserable, something that would make him miss Bella. Sometimes, he would be looking at a picture of her, or listening to a song she like, or reading a book she enjoyed.

Occasionally, as Alice passed his room, she would hear him humming the lullaby he had written for Bella. This was one of those days.

Alice shook her head upon hearing the humming. She felt terrible for Edward. She remembered how he had staggered in from the Swan house on the night of their return, sobbing uncontrollably, though no tears fell, while Esme held him like only a mother could. He told them, after much questioning, that Bella had moved on, and not just to anyone but to a werewolf, to Jacob Black. Alice's heart broke for Edward that night.

"He is humming again." Alice informed the rest of her family, who was all sitting in the living room.

Jasper and Emmett were playing a zombie video game, while Rosalie was reading a magazine, and Esme and Carlisle were looking through a decorating magazine, trying to pick out a new color to paint their bathroom.

"He always is." Rosalie said, not looking up from her magazine.

"It's getting worse." Alice sighed, plopping herself down on the couch next to Rosalie.

Jasper paused the video game and turned to Alice. "But what are we supposed to do?" He seemed to ask Alice, but look at Carlisle.

"Edward will come out when he is ready." Carlisle said. "And when he wants to talk, we will listen."

"Yeah, but what if he goes crazy up there?" Emmett pointed to upstairs. "I mean, that could happen right?"

"He won't." Esme raised an eyebrow at Emmett. "His heart is just broken."

"So we should go break her…" Rosalie said, still not looking up from her magazine.

"This is not Bella's fault." Alice immediately defended Bella. "Edward left her, and she has no idea we are even back."

"Whatever." Rosalie rolled her eyes.

"I think we need to do something." Alice continued.

Carlisle looked up. "What can we possibly do at this point? Bella is her own girl, she has a right to move on."

"To a wolf though?" Emmett laughed at his own statement. "I mean, come on! Yeah, Edward might have messed this up but Bella is like family right? We can't let her just go date some wolf."

"So what are you saying?" Rosalie looked up for the first time, narrowing her eyes at Emmett.

"I am with Alice on this one." Emmett said. "We need to do something."

"What?" Rosalie said. "Go prancing over to Bella's house and tell her she broke Edward's heart and she is dating a murder?" Rosalie was clearly mocking the situation.

"Actually." Alice stood. "That sounds like a great idea."

"Alice…" Carlisle started.

"Carlisle, we can't let Edward suffer like that!" Alice pointed up the stairs. "And we can't let Bella put herself in such terrible danger with that…that _werewolf_."

Carlisle started to say something, but was stopped when Esme put a hand on his arm.

"Alice is right." Esme said. "Bella at least should be warned."

Carlisle thought for a moment and then nodded. "Fine. But Alice, you go alone."

"Of course." Alice said.

"And be discrete." Carlisle said. "Don't let anyone see that we are back, in case we have to leave again." He looked up the stairs in the direction of Edward's room. He would move his family again if Edward needed him to.

Alice nodded, understanding, and then took off out the front door and into the woods, heading straight for Bella's house.

Once Alice was gone, Rosalie stood. "I am starving. Can we hunt?"

"Yeah, I am rather hungry." Jasper agreed.

"Sure. Let's go." Carlisle stood.

"Should we get…" Emmett pointed up to Edward's room.

"No." Carlisle shook his head. "He hunts when he needs to. I hear him leave occasionally at night. I think we should just let him be."

Everyone nodded in agreement and took off into the woods, in the opposite direction Alice had gone in. All of the Cullen's were starving, having not eaten for almost two weeks and ready to pounce on the first animal that moved.

* * *

Bella pulled her red truck up to Jacob's house. She had just left her doctor's appointment and wanted to tell Jacob the good news about her and the baby. As her car pulled to a stop, she saw Jacob and Sam chopping up some wood. They both stopped when they saw Bella and Jacob sprinted to her truck, opening the door and helping her out.

"Hey." Jacob smiled, taking her hand in his.

"Thanks." Bella thanked him for helping her out of her car. She was showing more now, and the extra weight was not great for her uncoordinated body.

"Sure." Jacob leaned in and kissed Bella.

Bella smiled at his gesture. She was getting used to the warmth of his kiss, unlike Edward's cold lips. "And thanks for that."

"So, how did it go?" Jacob inquired about Bella's doctor's appointment.

"Good." Bella smiled, and then rubbed her visibly pregnant belly. "I mean…the doctor said everything looks great…just…" She looked down at her stomach.

"Just what?" Jacob panicked that something was wrong.

Bella looked up, a half smile on her face. She was somewhere between embarrassed for herself and laughing between Jacob's reaction. "He said I am a little heavy…for only two and a half months."

Jacob was relieved, rolling his eyes. "Is that all?"

Sam walked up, laughing after hearing Bella's comment. "I told you. That baby is going to plump you up so the wolf part can grow."

"I remember." Bella smiled at Sam, remembering the conversation they had over a month ago.

Jacob knelt down in front of Bella, placing both hands on her stomach and talking in a baby voice. "That just means my little one is going to be big and strong, huh?"

Bella placed a hand on Jacob's head, watching him talk to the baby and smiling.

"Does he do this often?" Sam asked Bella, pointing to Jacob.

"He does." Bella couldn't take her eyes off Jacob or the smile off her face.

"The baby can hear me." Jacob looked up at Sam, giving Bella's stomach one more good pat before standing. "And I want it to recognize my voice."

"I am sure it already does." Sam smiled at Jacob, but then his smile faded.

Bella noticed the change in Sam's facial expression, but didn't think anything of it until she realized Jacob was not smiling anymore either. "Jake? What is it?" She asked.

"Vampires." Jacob took in the scent of the air. "Somewhere in the woods."

Sam looked up at the cloudy sky, to see the sun was almost setting. "It's almost dark out. They will be hunting more feverishly sooner."

"If that's what they are even doing." Jacob put an arm around Bella protectively.

"Take Bella to my house. Emily is home. I will go round up the pack." Sam said, sprinting away from the couple.

Jacob continued to wrap his arm around Bella's growing waistline as he moved her swiftly in the direction of Sam and Emily's house. "You stay with Emily, you will be safe."

"I am sure its fine, Jacob." Bella said, feeling calm about the situation before. "They could just be passing through."

"Vampires know better than to come near our land." Jacob said.

"Maybe they are just passing through." Bella offered.

Jacob helped her up the steps to Sam and Emily's home. "We will find out." He then opened the door. "Emily?"

"Jacob?" Emily emerged from a back room. "Bella! Good to see you!" She walked up and embraced Bella in a hug.

"Hey." Bella hugged Emily back.

"Can you keep an eye on Bells for me?" Jacob asked. "The pack is heading out. Vampires in the woods."

"Sure." Emily nodded. "We will be fine."

"Good." Jacob kissed Bella quickly. "I'll be back soon."

"Sure." Bella nodded.

Jacob then turned and leapt off of Sam and Emily's front porch. By the time he hit the ground, Jacob had already phased and was in full wolf form, just like the rest of the pack waiting for him near the woods. Bella and Emily watched the pack take off into the thick forest, before closing the door and turning into the house.

* * *

Edward sat at the piano in the Cullen's home. He was all alone in the house, everyone was out hunting, he presumed, so it was safe for him to come out of his room. He only did so when he knew no one was around to ask him questions or tell him things would get better. The truth was, Edward didn't want things to get better; he wanted Bella.

Edward felt, by obsessing over her, by moping over her, he was able to keep her image alive in his mind. He had a feeling that was all he had left of her now. After seeing her that night in her room, clutching the dream catcher, Edward knew he had lost her. He had pushed her away, lied to her and told her he didn't want to, and silly Bella believed him.

"Stupid girl." Edward mumbled to himself. He didn't think Bella was stupid, he was just angry she trusted him so much and believed him so easily that she believed the lie he had told her. Of course he wanted her; if it was up to him he would have never left. He only did so to keep her safe, and now he had lost her forever.

As Edward's mind continued to replay ever instant, every touch, every kiss he had shared with Bella, his hands gracefully made their way along the piano keys in front of him. He then began playing the only song that gave him comfort, the one he had been humming so much. He played the lullaby he had written for Bella and it gave him comfort. As he played, he closed his eyes, imagining she was sitting next to him like she had the last time he had played the song on that piano.

* * *

The vampires that the wolf-pack were following had gotten too far ahead, forcing the wolves to stop for a moment.

"I think we should split up." Jacob said. He wanted to catch the vampires as fast as possible, fearing for the safety of Bella and his unborn child only a few miles away.

Sam nodded. "Two and two. Jacob and I will go east, Paul and Jared, you most west."

"Sounds good." Paul grinned, phasing back into his wolf, as Jared did the same. They pair then took off.

"Let's move." Sam said to Jacob, phasing.

Jacob phased as well and he and Sam raced toward a clearing in the middle of the forest. Suddenly the scent of blood and vampire overwhelmed Jacob. He glanced at Sam's wolf eye to see he sensed it too. The pair made it to the clearing within seconds to find five vampires feasting over something.

Jacob growled and started to move forward, quickly ready to pounce, when one vampire turned around, and he found himself stopping in his tracks. He was staring at the face of Carlisle Cullen.

Sam immediately saw that the vampires were all Cullen's, feasting over two dead deer. He did not like the Cullen's, but he respected the pact they had made with his people. He quickly phased back into his human form, moving forward and motioning for Jacob to do the same.

Jacob phased back to his human form as well, but with much reserve. Seeing the Cullen family standing before him made him sick to his stomach. If they were back that meant only one thing, Edward was back. Jacob's thoughts quickly drifted to Bella and their child that she was carrying.

"Carlisle." Sam moved forward.

"Sam." Carlisle nodded back at Sam, and then looked at Jacob. "Jacob."

Jacob said nothing, he just kept his fist clenched.

"Sorry to cause a commotion if we did." Carlisle motioned to Emmett, Rosalie, Jasper, and Esme standing next to him. "We just arrived back and haven't hunted in days. Usually we don't come this close to your land…"

"We know." Sam nodded, agreeing with Carlisle's statement. "At least it was you, and not some vampires feasting on human."

"Very true." Carlisle laughed.

"Are you all back?" Jacob spoke up.

"We are." Rosalie smirked at Jacob, knowing Jacob was only concerned with Edward because he was worried he would lose Bella. Little did he know that Edward had already given up on Bella.

Jacob couldn't control his growl.

"Jacob." Sam warned.

"Sorry if we upset you, Jacob." Carlisle said. "But we will stay out of your way…all of us." He was mostly referring to Edward.

Jacob straightened up at this comment, narrowing his eyes at Carlisle, and wondering if the Cullen's had tried to contact Bella or knew of her pregnancy. After listening on the Cullen family and Sam's conversation a little long, Jacob realized they knew nothing of the pregnancy and nothing of Bella's life now. He bet they didn't even know how broken Edward had left her. This idea made Jacob mad, and by the time the Cullen's waved goodbye and Sam began pulling Jacob back in the direction of their reservation, Jacob could feel his blood boiling.

* * *

Bella sat at Emily's kitchen table, rubbing circles over her belly bump. She could feel sleep threatening her eyes. She just wanted to get home and take a shower. He back had been killing her recently with the extra baby weight, and she was always tired from lugging the extra pounds around.

"Tired, Bella?" Emily asked, taking a seat next to Bella.

"Yeah." Bella sighed, placing her head down on the table. "I am always tired."

"That's the baby." Emily smiled. "You have a long way to go still."

"Don't remind me." Bella was not looking forward to the next six and a half months.

"Well, if you want you can lay down in mine and Sam's room." Emily offered.

"I really just want to get home and shower." Bella said truthfully. "The doctor's visit took a lot out of me. I just really came by to tell Jacob everything looked good with the baby."

"He is so excited about it." Emily spoke of Jacob. "All he talks about is that baby."

Even though she was tired, Bella could not fight the smile that came across her lips. She was grateful that Jacob was so happy about their unexpected situation. "That's good to hear."

"He is going to be a great father." Emily said. "He is just such a sweetheart."

Bella nodded in agreement; how could she disagree? Jacob had been nothing but good to her since the day she met him. "He is."

"That's because his father is a sweetheart." Billy appeared at the screen door, pulling it open and rolling his wheelchair in.

"Hey Billy." Bella smiled at the grandfather of her unborn child.

"How are you, Bella?" Billy asked.

"Tired." Bella admitted.

"It's that grandkid of yours." Emily rubbed Bella's back and joked with Billy. "Its sucking the life out of her."

"I have no control over that." Billy laughed, and then turned to Bella. "Why don't you head home then?"

"Jacob doesn't want me to go alone." Bella told him. "There were some vampires in the woods earlier."

"Well that would explain where the boys went." Billy spoke of the pack. "Well, Bella, how about I take you home?"

"How will you get back here?" Bella asked.

"I'll follow you. I can take him home, once you get home." Emily offered, knowing how tired Bella was.

"Really?" Bella was grateful for the offer but she did not want to put anyone out.

"Absolutely." Billy smiled. "Anything for my grandbaby."

"Thanks." Bella smiled at Billy and then Emily before slowly standing, trying to balance the excessive amount of weight in the front of her. Once she gained her balance she slowly moved out to her truck with Emily and Billy right behind her.

* * *

Jacob and Sam emerged from the forest followed by Jared and Paul. None of the men talked to each other as they made their way back to the reservation. They had all decided to keep the Cullen's return to them, not letting other members of the tribe find out. They all understood the situation the Cullen's return could possibly put Jacob in with regards to Bella, and none of them wanted to jepordize anything for Jacob.

"So, we keep this between us?" Jared finally spoke up before the pack got any closer to their homes.

"For now." Sam said, looking at Jacob.

"I just need to figure out how to tell Bella." Jacob said. "I am going to do it as soon as I can. I can't risk her finding out any other way."

"Well, good luck with that." Paul said, almost sarcastically.

Jacob just clenched his jaw at Paul's comment and began marching to Sam and Emily's house. He decided then and there, he was going to tell Bella the Cullen Family was back immediately. That way, he could see her reaction for himself and talk to her, limiting the chances of Edward coming back and confusing things for him. Jacob wanted to believe Bella had meant what she said, that she was getting over Edward, but he knew he still couldn't chance it. He needed to tell Bella so she didn't think he was keeping Edward's return a secret.

As Jacob climbed the stairs, Emily opened the door to let Jacob and Sam in. Jacob moved passed her to find his father sitting at the table, drinking coffee. Bella, however, was nowhere in sight.

"Did you find them?" Emily asked, giving Sam a kiss.

Jacob ignored her question. "Where is Bella?"

"At home." Billy answered his son.

"How…why?" Jacob starting, clenching his fists. He was angry.

Sam saw Jacob's reaction to his father's words and quickly moved forward. "Jacob, calm down. I am sure there is a reason Bella went home."

"She was just tired." Billy told Jacob. "I offered to take her home, she accepted."

"Tired?" Jacob looked at the clock, it was not very late.

"Well, she is pregnant." Emily reminded Jacob. "Babies tend to wear you out."

"Jacob, she is safe at home." Billy said. "Probably already in bed."

Jacob just kept his fist clenched as he exited Sam's home and moved toward his own house. He would call Bella, to make sure she got home and to tell her about the Cullen's. He couldn't risk her finding out any other way. In the back of his mind, Jacob feared that Edward would go to Bella and Jacob knew if that happened, there was a chance he would lose Bella. Jacob knew, no matter what Bella said, a part of her would always love Edward and Jacob couldn't chance that small part taking over for even a second. He needed to make sure Bella remembered that he was supposed to be in her life now, not Edward.

* * *

Bella sat herself down on the couch in the living room and turned on Charlie's big screen TV. She was home alone for the night, since Charlie was working, but she did not care. She was worn out from the visit to the doctors, and being on the reservation for so long. Pregnancy was seriously taking a toll on her already, and she wasn't even close to half way done.

Bella sighed, rubbing small circles on her growing belly and flipping through the channels. She wanted to just relax for a change, but she couldn't take her mind off of Jacob. She hoped he and the rest of the pack had made it out of the woods okay, after they chased the vampires down.

"I am sure Daddy is fine." Bella found herself talking about Jacob to her baby bump. "He always is." She rarely talked to the baby prior to that moment. Originally the thought freaked her out, but the doctor had told her today that the baby would be able to recognize her voice, so Bella had decided she would make a point of talking out loud more to her unborn child.

Suddenly, a knock on the door startled Bella from her thoughts. She stood, as fast as her extra weight would allow and moved toward the door. She assumed it was Jacob, checking in on her and letting her know he was okay. The knocking persisted.

"Coming!" Bella called toward the door, moving as fast as her pregnant state would allow. Still the knocking continued. When she did make it to the door, she quickly unlocked it and swung it open, ready to blast Jacob for being so impatient, but instead she found herself speechless at who was standing in front of her.

"Bella?" Alice smiled and then threw her arms around her human friend.

"A…Al…Alice?" Bella stammered, clearly shocked, her mind racing in a million different directions. She could not believe Alice Cullen was standing at her door after everything that had happened. Bella was overtaken by so many emotions. She was so happy to see Alice, she had missed her dearly, but yet she was angry that Alice had left her in the first place, and then she found herself feeling anxious because Alice reminded Bella of _him_, of Edward.

As shocked as Bella was by Alice, Alice was equally as shocked by the bump in Bella's stomach as she hugged the frail girl, and by the two separate heartbeats she heard coming from Bella. Quickly, she pulled away from the girl. "Bella…" Alice glanced down at Bella's stomach, noticing the clear outline of a baby bump. "You're….you're pregnant?"

Bella was still in shock but found herself nodding. "Yes."

"Oh Bella…is it…it can't be…Edward can't…" Alice pointed to Bella's stomach.

"Its not his!" Bella snapped immediately, covering her baby bump as if to protect the life inside. She blamed the hormones for the tone in her voice. She knew she had no reason to be mad at Alice, but she couldn't help all of the emotions that filled her at the thought of Edward. "Edward and I never slept together."

"I see." Alice nodded quickly, realizing if it wasn't Edwards it had to be Jacob's. After all, Edward had said Jacob was with Bella now. Alice didn't know why but she was now mad at Bella for moving on so quickly from Edward when Edward was slowly losing himself over Bella. "Well then you certainly got over my brother fast."

"How dare you!" Bella snapped.

"How dare you!" Alice snapped back. "My brother loved you so much and this is how you repay him?" She motioned to Bella's stomach.

"Repay him for what? Breaking my heart?" Bella felt herself suddenly on the verge of tears. "For leaving me all alone?"

"He left to keep you safe!" Alice said. "We all did." Suddenly she felt herself calming down seeing the confusion in Bella's eyes. "Edward felt we only put you in danger, he told us he couldn't risk that. He would rather live a life without you, knowing you were safe then putting you in danger."

Bella shook her head, remembering that Edward had told her he did not want her anymore before he walked away. "That's not true. He didn't want me anymore. He said so himself."

"Well then he lied to you because he made us come back here to make sure you were safe, and now that he knows you are he has not come out of his room. He just hums the lullaby he wrote for you, day in and day out." Alice told him.

"He what?" Bella was in shock. Had Edward really been pining over her?

"He loves you, Bella." Alice told her. "But I guess it's too late…" She glanced at Bella's stomach. "Is it Jacob's?" Alice spoke of Bella's baby.

"Yes." Bella placed a hand on her round stomach. She wanted to tell Alice that it wasn't too late, it was never too late for Edward, but she couldn't. She knew she could not do that to Jacob or his child. Jacob had been there for Bella through everything, she couldn't just walk away from him because Edward was back.

"Do you know what he is?" Alice asked.

"Yes." Bella nodded. "I know he's a wolf."

Alice shook her head. "He's no good."

"He has been nothing but good to me." Bella spoke of Jacob but her thoughts would not leave Edward. She had missed him. He was the part of her that was missing.

Suddenly, Bella's cell phone began t ring. Bella looked down, seeing that Jacob was calling her.

"I should go." Alice sounded almost defeated.

"Alice please!" Bella ignored her phone. "I…Edward can't know about…about this." She motioned to her stomach. "It would kill him. I know that."

"Yes it would." Alice agreed with Bella.

"I still love him." Bella confessed. "I will always love Edward, but I can't hurt Jacob. He cares too much about me and this baby." She rubbed her stomach.

"I know you love Edward." Alice told her. "That's why I know this isn't easy for you. But Bella, no matter what, my family is always here for you and we will always love you."

Bella nodded, fighting back tears. "I am just so confused, Alice. I don't know what to do right now."

Alice pulled Bella back in for a hug, feeling horrible for the human. "You don't have to do anything. I won't tell Edward about the baby and you don't have to tell anyone you saw me. You can sort it all out when you are good and ready."

"I missed you, Alice." Bella spoke truthfully.

"I missed you too." Alice squeezed Bella a little harder. "And I am always here for you. Whether you are with Edward or not." She released Bella. "And I am here for you now."

Bella nodded. Alice had always been like a sister, and Bella needed her right now. She needed someone to listen to her and help her sort everything out. Knowing Edward was back and still in love with her certainly threw a curveball in Bella's thoughts.

Bella's phone began ringing again. Again she saw it was Jacob calling but again she ignored it.

"Alice, what am I supposed to do?" Bella asked.

Alice bit her lip and then shrugged. "You need to follow your heart, Bella. You need to do what is right for you."

Bella shook her head and closed her eyes. Edward had always been what her heart wanted, but her head had always told her Jacob was right for her. Bella just didn't know what to follow, her heart or her head. When she opened her eyes again, she realized Alice was gone. It was as if the small pixie of a vampire had never even been there at all.

* * *

Jacob hung up his phone, fuming mad. He knew Bella was ignoring him because her phone cut him off after a few rings and went straight to voicemail. Jacob was angry, knowing that all of the sudden the Cullen's were back in town and Bella was suddenly ignoring him.

"I'll kill him." Jacob growled to himself as images of Edward Cullen filled his mind.


	7. Not Leaving Forks Without Her

Disclaimer: All characters and things associated with The Twilight Saga belong to Stephanie Meyers. This writing is for pure entertainment only.

Summary: Set during New Moon. After Edward leaves, Bella is miserable and Jacob is there for her until things go too far between them, leaving Bella in an unexpected condition. When Edward returns how will Bella explain her situation to him? B/E B/J pairings

**Chapter 7**

Jacob entered the Swan house and moved straight to the kitchen where he found Charlie throwing on his police jacket.

"Thanks so much for coming over, Jacob." Charlie said. "I didn't want to leave Bella alone right now."

"She still hasn't come out of her room?" Jacob asked, leaning on the counter. It had been two days since he learned of the Cullen's return, two days since Bella had ignored his phone calls, and two days since she had left her room. Bella had told her dad she just didn't feel well, but Jacob suspected she would not leave because she too knew the Cullen Family was back.

"No." Charlie shook his head. "And she won't let anyone in the room either. I am starting to get worried about her."

Jacob nodded. "Me too. She hasn't returned my phone calls or anything."

"I don't know what got into her." Charlie sighed. "She was handling this pregnancy so well, really being mature about it, and now it's like she shut down. She is acting the same way she did when that Cullen kid broke up with her."

"Yeah." Jacob felt his jaw clench at the sound of Edward. He had not told Charlie about the Cullen's being back in town. He had assumed Charlie, as chief, would have known already, but it seemed the Cullen Family was keeping a low profile for some reason.

"Well, maybe you will have better luck then me with getting her out of that room." Charlie said, before moving to the door. "Thanks again, Jacob."

"No problem." Jacob waved good-bye and then took a seat in the living room. He debated going up the stairs to try to talk to Bella, but he figured she did not want to see him if she had not answered his phone calls.

What Jacob really wanted to do was go after Edward and rip his throat out, but he knew he couldn't do that until he was absolutely sure Bella even knew the Cullen's had returned. If she had not, and he did that, he knew he would make a mess out of everything. He knew if she did not know Edward was back, then she really was not feeling well and things would be better in a few days. Secretly, Jacob hoped Bella really was sick, it would be easier to deal with than knowing she was upset over Edward.

* * *

Bella sat in her bed, glancing out her window while rubbing her baby bump. She had not left her room since Alice had come over, and she wasn't sure she ever wanted to leave. She liked things in her room, it was simple; she did not have to deal with the outside world.

Bella was so confused by all of the recent events she did not know what to do. She loved Edward, and knowing now that, according to Alice, he had never stopped loving her, Bella just wanted to see him, touch him, talk to him. On the other hand, all that Edward had done to her had practically destroyed Bella and since his return he had, as far as she knew, not even tried to contact her. She realized, she had been sitting in her room, waiting for him to come and save her, but Edward had abandoned her, _again_. She had watched her reflection become a ghost when Edward left, and she knew the only reason she had made it through the last few months was because of Jacob. She also knew she had deep feeling for Jacob, they were not the same feelings she had for Edward, but Bella knew if she gave it enough time she could be happy with Jacob. She was carrying Jacob's child now, she knew she owed at least the baby a fair chance at a normal family life.

"I need to give daddy a chance." Bella spoke to her unborn child softly, still rubbing circles on her stomach. "He loves you so much and he loves me too. I know that."

Bella sighed; no matter what she did, or how hard she tried, she could not get her thoughts off of Edward. She knew it was not fair to Jacob, but Edward had been her first love, he completed her. Still, Bella knew she could not let her love for Edward cloud what was right for her and her child. Edward had left her completely broken, Jacob would never do that.

Bella realized that her pregnancy, although it had complicated everything else, had made her decision about Edward and Jacob easier. She was carrying Jacob's child because Jacob had been there for her when she needed it, when Edward had taken such a huge chunk of her heart and soul. Her baby deserved its father; Bella knew it was unfair to the child to inside of her to get it so caught up her in tragedy of a love life. She knew any chance she had with Edward had left the moment she found out she was pregnant. The sooner she came to terms with that the better off Bella knew her life would be, she was just unsure if she could ever let go of Edward and all of her dreams that easily.

All of her thoughts were making Bella hungry. She figured Charlie had gone off to work and she could go downstairs without having to deal with anyone, so she slowly got out of bed, steadying her extra baby weight as she rose to her feet.

* * *

Alice made her way down the upstairs hall, moving toward the stairs. No one was in the Cullen house except for her and Edward, so she might as well have had the place to herself. Rosalie and Esme had gone shopping a few towns over so no one would see them around, in case they decided to leave Forks again, and Carlisle, Jasper, and Emmett had driven two hours north to see houses in another area similar to Forks. It seemed the whole family was ready to move the second Edward told them he wanted to.

But Edward still said nothing to anyone. He just sat in his room, miserable, and humming the lullaby he had written for Bella. Alice knew, if Edward was that miserable thinking Jacob and Bella were dating, that knowing Bella was carrying Jacob's child would kill Edward.

Alice frowned as she moved passed Edward's door. She knew he was in there, and heartbroken. She didn't understand why he would talk to no one. As she rounded the top of the stairs, however, she was shocked to find a familiar grasp on her arm. She turned around to see Edward standing in front of her, glaring at her.

"Edward?" Alice smiled slightly, glad to see her brother.

"I smell her on you." Edward accused, his eyes wild. "I smell Bella. When did you see her?"

"I haven't." Alice lied. She did not want to talk about her encounter with Bella, not with Edward. She had promised Bella she would not tell him or anyone else anything of her condition, and Alice knew that would be easy as long as Edward did not ask how Bella currently was.

Edward leaned in closer. "Don't lie to me."

"Edward I'm not lying." Alice tried to free her arm from his grasp.

Edward just tightened his hold on his immortal sister. "Alice." He hissed.

"I saw her two days ago, Edward." Alice finally freed her arm. "How could you even smell her on me by now?"

Edward lowered his brow. "The slightest scent sends my senses into a frenzy. You know that."

Alice nodded. How could she have forgotten that?

"Is she well?" Edward looked down at the ground.

"Bella?" Alice played dumb. She had wanted Edward to talk to the family, but she had wanted the whole family there, that way it would be easier for her to hid Bella's secret because she would have less of Edward's attention.

"Who else?" Edward snorted.

"She…she is as good as can be expected." Alice finally got out. She figured vague answers would cause Edward to ask vague questions.

"Is…is she happy? Does he make her happy?" Edward looked Alice in the eye now.

Alice blocked all thoughts of Bella's pregnancy from her mind, not wanting to give Edward a chance to catch any clues. "He as in…Jacob?"

"Yes." Edward seemed to choke on his words.

Alice did not know what to say to Edward, or how to answer his question, so she just shrugged. "I couldn't tell you. All I know is she is very confused."

"About what?" Edward suddenly seemed hopeful. "About Jacob or me or…" Suddenly it dawned on Edward, Bella may not even know he was around. "Does she even know I am back?"

"Yes she knows." Alice would not lie about that. "Only because I told her, but Edward, you broke her heart."

"I did it to protect her." Edward looked away again. "Because I love her."

"Then maybe its best we leave Forks." Alice tried, not wanting to get into any further a conversation about Bella. She just wanted what was best for Edward, and she was sure watching him waste his immortal life away upset over Bella was not what was best for him. Worse, Alice knew if Edward found out Bella was pregnant, especially with Jacob's child, it would be the death of him.

"Why? Is something wrong?" Edward was grabbing Alice's arm again. "Did Bella ask us to leave?"

"No." Alice shook her head. "It's just…maybe we should leave so you can move on and she can have a normal life."

Edward laughed, almost cynically. "Normal? She is with a werewolf, how is he any more normal then me?"

Alice decided it was time to redirect the conversation, fearing that more talk of Jacob would only cause Bella's pregnancy to be forced to the surface. She could not allow that fact to crush her brother. "You left her, Edward! Maybe it is for the best that we just keep moving, you could maybe one day forget about her and…"

"I will never forget about Bella!" Edward hissed through clenched jaws. "And I am not leaving Forks without her!" And with that Edward marched back into his room, slamming his door so hard it cracked.

Alice flinched at the sound of his door, and then stood there, slightly shocked. She knew, if Edward meant what he had just said, things were about to get a whole lot messier.

* * *

Bella made her way down the stairs of her house and into the kitchen. She wondered why the TV in the den was on, since she knew Charlie had gone to work. After grabbing an apple from the refrigerator Bella waddled into the den.

Suddenly, Jacob, upon hearing Bella enter the room, jumped up from his sleeping position on the couch, causing Bella to jump back, losing her balance.

Jacob, with his werewolf speed, grabbed Bella before she could fall, however and sat her on the couch. "You come down for the first time in two days and you almost put my kid in the hospital." Jacob joked, patting her stomach.

"Jake…what…what are you doing here?" Bella had not expected to see anyone, let alone Jacob, standing in her house. She had decided upstairs that she wanted to see Jacob and put all her efforts into loving and being with him, but she had not anticipated those efforts would start so suddenly.

"You're dad didn't want you staying here alone." Jacob's smile faded as he took a seat next to Bella. "He was worried about you. We all have been."

Bella nodded, rubbing her pregnant stomach and curling her feet up under her. "I just haven't been feeling good." It wasn't that she was sick, but emotionally, she had been a mess since she had seen Alice.

"What's wrong?" Jacob asked, holding his breath and waiting to hear that she knew Edward was back. He was sure that was the only explanation for Bella's sudden "illness".

"I…I just have been really tired." Bella shrugged as she lied. She couldn't hurt Jacob, she realized as she sat next to him. He had been so good to her, and she had feelings for him, she was sure of it, and she was sure that with enough time she could move on from Edward, and build a life with Jacob and their child.

"Bella…are you sure that's it?" Jacob narrowed his eyes at her. He wanted to believe her, he wanted to believe that the Cullen's had stayed away from her, but he wasn't sure if he could. He knew how much Edward had cared about Bella, and he knew how much Bell had loved him. Jacob knew, with the Cullen's in town, there was a chance he wouldn't be able to keep Bella, or be involved with his child and that killed him.

"Sure." Bella smiled at Jacob. "What else could it be?"

"Bella…" Jacob took a deep breath, he needed to know if Bella knew Edward was back and if she cared, and he needed to know now. "I…I know _they're_ back. I ran into them, and incidentally, it coincided with you not feeling well."

"Who?" Bella knew exactly who Jacob was talking about, but decided it was best to play dumb if she wanted any chance at working it all out. "And what coincided?"

"The Cullen's, Bella." Jacob sighed. "Who else?"

"What about…the Cullen's?" Bella asked.

"Come on, you don't know?" Jacob was getting frustrated.

"Know what?" Bella played dumb.

"The Cullen's are back." Jacob glanced at her.

Bella looked as surprised as possible. "What?"

Jacob read Bella's expression, and then realized she seemed shocked by his words. Maybe she really didn't know. "You didn't know?"

"No." Bella shook her head, lying. It killed her to lie to Jacob, after all he had been nothing but trustworthy, even now he was telling her the Cullen's were back, knowing very well there was a chance she would leave him with that new information.

Jacob nodded, this was the moment of truth. He knew however Bella reacted to the news of Edward's return would determine their relationship from that point forward. "Well they are. All of them."

Bella nodded, understanding what Jacob meant. "By all, you mean Edward?"

"Who else?" Jacob sighed, and then looked at Bella, gently placing a hand on her thigh. "Bella, I know this changes everything…"

Bella realized where Jacob was taking the conversation and she didn't want to go there. Her mind kept telling her that Jacob was right for her, Jacob was good for her, and Bella knew she needed to follow her mind if she was going to give her child any chance at a semi-normal family with Jacob. "It doesn't change anything, Jake."

"Bella…" Jacob wanted to believe her more than anything.

"It doesn't." Bella repeated herself, trying to assure herself with her words. She had made up her mind, Jacob was what was best for her and their child, not Edward. Plus, Edward had been given days to come by and see her and he hadn't, Bella was beginning to realize he probably never would. "You and I are having a baby." Bella took Jacob's hand and placed it on her baby hump. "And you and I are together right now, not me and someone else."

Jacob smiled as his hand connected with her stomach, with his child. "Do you mean that?"

"Yes. It's you and me and this baby, Jake." Bella looked at her belly and gave a tight lipped smile as she threw her arms around Jacob, hugging him tightly, and fighting back her tears. Her mind might have known Jacob was right for her, but Bella couldn't help the feeling in her heart that made her think of Edward, even as she sat there hugging Jacob.


	8. I Gave Her Something You Never Could

Disclaimer: All characters and things associated with The Twilight Saga belong to Stephanie Meyers. This writing is for pure entertainment only.

Summary: Set during New Moon. After Edward leaves, Bella is miserable and Jacob is there for her until things go too far between them, leaving Bella in an unexpected condition. When Edward returns how will Bella explain her situation to him? B/E B/J pairings

**Chapter 8**

It had been two weeks since Bella had decided she was going to have to get over Edward and move on with her life with Jacob and their unborn child. She was still struggling with the decision, but Edward had made it easier, making no attempt to contact her since he had returned. Bella was even starting to doubt what Alice had told her, after all, how could Edward love her so much and then not even stop by to tell her he was back?

She was now three months pregnant, but looked much larger; her stomach was visible now, and the talk of the school, she realized, as she made her way to her locker.

As she opened her locker, Bella was grateful it was almost Easter and therefore the start of her high school spring break. She was looking forward to the week off, and away from the school. The truth was, she was sick of everyone at Forks High School talking about her. First, they had talked about her because she was the new girl, then she was gossiped about because she was dating Edward, then that gossip grew more when Edward left, and now she was the talk of the school because she was pregnant. Rumors roared through the halls that it was Jacob's child and that was why he was now at Forks High School, although some people apparently thought it was Edward's, seeing as how big Bella had gotten, the assumed she was farther along than she was and that the child was the reason Edward had left.

As Bella closed her locker, Jacob was at her side, smiling at her. He had realized, since he had talked to her about the Cullen's return weeks earlier, that she really had no intention of being in contact with Edward any longer, and that had kept Jacob smiling for weeks.

"Hey beautiful." Jacob continued to grin.

"Hey." Bella nodded at him, slamming her locker.

"What's wrong?" Jacob realized Bella did not seem to be in a good mood. "Is it the baby?"

"Yes." Bella nodded, throwing her backpack over her shoulder and moving down the hall toward the doors to the parking lot.

"What's wrong?" Jacob panicked. "Is the baby okay?"

"It's fine." Bella told him, continuing to walk, one hand on her back to support the weight of her stomach.

"Then what's wrong?" Jacob was really confused.

"I'm just…I'm sick of everyone talking about it." She eyed her stomach.

"Oh." Jacob nodded, understanding. He had heard all the rumors about Bella as well.

"Yeah." Bella nodded.

Jacob pushed open the double doors with the flick of his wrist, loving his wolf strength. He then took Bella's hand and helped her across the parking lot to her truck. The lot was wet from the rain and he wouldn't risk her falling, since she was prone to that long before she gained the pregnant belly. "Don't worry about it, Bella."

"It's just hard to listen to everyday." Bella sighed. "I don't get why it's anyone's business."

"It's not." Jacob helped her into the passenger side of her truck, carefully supporting her and her extra baby weight before closing it and getting in the driver's seat. "So don't let any of it get to you. Stress isn't good for the baby." He started the car.

"Sorry, Jake." Bella said after a minute. "I shouldn't be taking it out on you."

"It's what I am here for." Jacob smiled, leaning over and giving her a kiss.

Bella smiled, kissing him back. Sometimes Jacob made it almost too easy for her to forget about Edward, and this was one of those moments. He always knew what to do and what to say to easy her mind, and he really did let her use him as a punching bag. "Thanks."

Jacob smiled again when he saw Bella smiling. "Sure."

"So, what are your plans this break?" Bella asked casually, as they pulled out of the parking lot.

"Spending time with you and the little one." Jacob patted Bella's pregnant stomach.

"Me and my fatness." Bella sighed at her belly.

"You look great, Bells." Jacob told her, and truly meant it. Sure, she had gained some noticeable weight, but Jacob didn't mind at all, after all, he had done that to her, and he loved knowing she was growing with his child.

"Sure." Bella shook her head, trying to hide a smile, knowing Jacob was just trying to make her feel better.

"I mean it. So beautiful." Jacob smiled at her.

Bella studied Jacob's face, realizing he meant every word, and she took his free hand in her own. "Thanks." She then turned her attention out the window and let Jacob drive.

Suddenly, Bella felt Jacob's grip on her hand tighten. It continued to constrict her fingers until she was sure they would break.

"Ouch!" Bella jerked her hand from Jacob's. "What the heck?"

"Sorry." Jacob mumbled, but did not turn his attention from the road ahead. This was not normal Jacob behavior as far as Bella was concerned.

"Jake, what's wrong?" Bella asked.

Jacob just clenched his jaw as he tilted his chin toward the road ahead.

Bella followed Jacob's head-tilt and thought she was going to throw up. Up ahead, driving toward them was an all too familiar Jeep with an all too familiar dark-haired vampire standing up in it. Emmett would never change.

"It's _them_, right?" Jacob asked.

"Yes." Bella said as the jeep edged closer, knowing that Jacob was referring to the Cullen family; she squinted to see Rosalie was driving.

By now the jeep was approached Bella's red pick-up truck, and it almost seemed to slow down. Jacob too, seemed to slow the truck down and Jacob just glared at Rosalie and Emmett as they passed. Rosalie and Emmett had an equally distasteful look on their faces, and Bella sat there in shock, unable to wrap her mind around seeing Emmett and Rosalie. Immediately, the jeep and the vampires in it made her miss Edward so much.

Finally, the jeep passed and was behind Bella and Jacob before Bella realized it.

Jacob then glanced over at her, to see that she had reacted exactly how he had hoped she wouldn't. He wanted her to hate the Cullen's as much as he did, but he could see from the look on her face, she was hurt when they passed the jeep, as if she truly missed the owners of it

"Sorry." Jacob mumbled about crushing her hand a few minutes earlier.

"Don't be." Bella gave Jacob a tight lipped smile before playing with the hem of her jacket in silence.

* * *

Four of the seven Cullen's were sitting in the living room of their home. Jasper and Alice were watching TV while Carlisle and Esme sat over a carpet magazine, trying to decide on a new carpet for their bedroom.

Alice had told no one that Edward had come out of his room a few weeks ago to speak to her since she did not see in his future that he would leave the room anytime soon. Now, sitting on the floor, Alice became alarmed. She had seen Edward's future and as far as she knew he would spend the rest of his days pining for Bella in his bedroom, now, however, as she searched his future she could no longer see anything. Edward had changed his mind about something, and now his future was unreadable to Alice.

Carlisle noticed the stiffness of Alice's back. "Alice, are you alright?"

"Sure." Alice nodded quickly at Carlisle.

Before another thing could be said, the creaking of the stairs caused all the Cullen's to turn their heads, and they were all shocked at what they saw; Edward was standing on the staircase looking down at them all, his hair disheveled more so then usual, and his eyes black.

"Edward." Esme spoke softly as the entire family stared at Edward, stunned to see him after all that time.

Edward said nothing, only slightly nodding at Esme before looking down at his hands, almost as if he was unsure they were his own.

Carlisle, for once, read his son wrong, assuming Edward's awkwardness was because he felt funny coming back to the family after all of that time. "Edward, everything is alright now."

Edward's head snapped up quickly, his eyes digging into Carlisle. "I need to see her." He said finally.

Carlisle just swallowed hard, understanding now what his son meant. Carlisle knew Edward was talking about Bella; he had a feeling this day would come, and who was he to stop Edward from seeking Bella out? "Ok son."

"No, not okay." Alice quickly jumped in; causing all eyes, including Edward's to turn to her.

"Alice…" Esme hushed her daughter.

"He shouldn't see her." Alice pressed, knowing if Edward went to Bella he would find out she was carrying Jacob's child.

"Why?" Edward's voice came out hoarse.

"I just…I don't think it's a good idea." Alice said, knowing her family would not understand. She had told no one, not even Jasper of Bella's pregnancy. She knew now, as she watched Edward, he was reading her thoughts for the reason she did not want him seeing Bella, so Alice blocked all thoughts of Bella and her unborn child from her mind and instead focused on the fact that she had seen Bella.

"You have seen her?" Edward realized, immediately becoming more animated and moving toward Alice. "When?"

"A few weeks ago." Alice said, looking to the rest of her family for some help.

"We decided it was best to warn Bella of what Jacob was." Carlisle spoke up.

"And what did she say she you told her?" Edward sounded hopeful for the first time in a long time. Maybe Bella had listened to his family's warning.

"She said she already knew." Alice sighed.

"Oh." Edward looked away, immediately defeated.

"So do you see why you can't go over there?" Alice tried to ease his pain. "It will fix nothing."

Edward shook his head, he wouldn't let go of Bella that easily. "No. I still need to see her."

Suddenly, Emmett came bouncing in the room from the garage, with Rosalie close behind him. "You guys are not going to believe what we saw!" He stopped short when he noticed Edward, shock written all over Emmett's face. "Edward?"

Edward immediately read Emmett's mind, which was screaming that he and Rosalie had just seen Bella and Jacob driving home from school together in Bella's car. Emmett didn't even need to say anything.

"You saw Bella with Jacob?" Edward seemed enraged.

"We're sorry." Rosalie stepped forward, knowing the news would hurt her brother.

"Just means I really need to see her." Edward said quickly. "She might not really understand how dangerous Jacob is."

"Edward…" Carlisle started.

"If I could just talk to her…" Edward's thoughts raced.

"_Edward_…" Carlisle's voice grew louder.

"If I could just see her…" Edward continued.

"Edward! Please! Enough!" Carlisle's plea caused silence to fall on the room.

Edward looked up, his eyes full of desperation and sadness. Everyone in the room could see Edward was steps away from losing himself.

"Face it, Edward." Rosalie stepped forward, unable to watch the mess that had become her brother any longer. "It's over."

"Rosie…" Emmett pulled his wife back.

"No."Rosalie pulled her arm away from Emmett. "I am not going to lose my brother over this." She turned back to Edward. "Bella moved on, she obviously doesn't' love you like you love her, and she is not good enough for you. If she can't see that you were trying to protect her, then forget about her! Stop beating yourself up over someone who doesn't care!"

Edward was immediately at Rosalie's throat, grasping his hand around her neck tightly. "You don't know anything!"

"Jasper!" Carlisle called out, signaling for Jasper to calm Edward.

Jasper immediately did so, pulling Edward's arm off of Rosalie's throat. "Stop, Edward."

Edward complied, knowing Jasper was the real reason he had not killed Rosalie. He would not apologize, however, Rosalie knew nothing and he didn't care if he had hurt her. He watched her as she moved into Emmett's arms, and then turned himself toward the door. "I am going to see Bella."

"Edward, please!" Alice pleaded. "Don't go!"

"Alice…" Carlisle shook his head at her, indicating they had to let Edward go.

Edward looked at Carlisle and nodded. "Thank you." He then moved swiftly out of the house.

"He is insane!" Rosalie rubbed her neck the second Edward left. "Bella has completely destroyed Edward!"

"You shouldn't have said those things, Rosalie." Esme told her.

"Someone needed to speak up." Rosalie defended herself.

"You have no idea how bad this is going to get." Alice sat down on the couch, her head in her hands.

"Alice, what's wrong?" Jasper consoled her.

"When Edward sees Bella he is going to lose it." Alice said.

"Did you have a vision?" Carlisle immediately regretted letting Edward go if it would put Bella in danger.

"No." Alice shook her head. "Bella's future is completely blocked out by Jacob now, the wolf thing."

"So then how do you know?" Emmett asked.

"Because…" Alice took a deep breath, knowing she needed to break her promise to Bella and tell her family of Bella's condition. It was for Bella's own good. "Bella's pregnant."

"What?" Esme was shocked.

"It's Jacob's." Alice said.

"What a tramp." Rosalie could immediately feel the jealousy rising in her, as always Bella got everything Rosalie had ever wanted.

"I don't think Bella meant for it to happen, she still cares about Edward I know it." Alice sighed, but then looked up at Carlisle. "Now don't you see why it was a bad idea Edward went?"

"Yes." Carlisle nodded. "But he has already left to see her and we can do nothing about it now. We will just have to wait and see."

"Let's just hope he doesn't do anything stupid." Emmett sighed.

Carlisle just nodded, knowing he could not chase after Edward to stop his son. Edward would need to find out about Bella on his own, and Carlisle hoped that this new information would push Edward from Bella, rather than make his son more suicidal over the girl.

* * *

Jacob pulled Bella's truck up to her house, when the check engine light went off. He sighed. He had wanted to spend some time with Bella, seeing as how the days events at school had upset her, not to mention the fact that two of the Cullen's had driven passed them less than an hour ago, but he knew making sure her car was safe was more important right now. He couldn't risk anything happening to her or their unborn child.

"Looks like I need to take the car back to the reservation." Jacob told her as she moved to open the door.

"Right now?" Bella asked. She had wanted to spend some time with Jacob alone, before Charlie arrived home, to show him that seeing Rosalie and Emmett had not bothered her earlier, even though it had cut her to pieces. She knew Jacob could never know that.

"Yeah." Jacob nodded. "I am pretty sure it's just the gas cap but I just want to check. I'll feel better knowing you're in a safe car with…" He nodded toward her stomach.

"The baby." Bella finished his sentence with a smile, and then leaned in close to him, kissing his cheek. "Well, thanks for being such a good daddy."

Jacob smiled back, that kiss was enough to renew his idea that Bella was okay. She was stronger then he realized sometimes. "No problem." He pulled her back in and kissed her deeply. "And thank you for being such a great mom."

"We will see." Bella smiled down at her stomach, full of the child she had grown to love unconditionally no matter how confusing and complicated her feelings and relationship with its father grew.

"You will be great." Jacob assured her, leaning across her visible baby hump to open the door for her. "Do you want me to bring the truck back later?"

"Are you going to come by tomorrow?" Bella asked, slowly easing out of the passenger seat.

"Sure." Jacob nodded. That was truthfully how he wanted to spend his whole break, with Bella.

"Then bring it tomorrow." Bella smiled.

"Okay." Jacob nodded. "Tell Charlie I said hi when he gets home."

"I will." Bella nodded.

"And Bella…I…I love you." Jacob pushed out, looking down at his hands.

"I love you too." Bella found herself saying before she comprehended it, and realized, after the words were out, they felt good to say to Jacob. She then smiled and closed the door to her truck.

Jacob watched Bella get into the house before pulling out of the driveway, unable to hide his huge grin. He was so happy Bella had responded the way she had to his word of love and affection. He realized now, that Edward or no Edward back in town, Bella would be his.

* * *

Edward found himself in front of the Swan residence faster then he thought possible. He looked up at the familiar white house, noticing one key factor was missing. Bella's red pickup truck was nowhere to be found. Edward wondered, if Bella had been with Jacob earlier like Rosalie and Emmett had said, if she was still with the wolf, meaning her car would be over by the reservation.

Edward decided, knowing what would happen to the treaty if he went onto the reservation, to wait for Bella to return. He did not want to draw any unwanted attention to himself, however, so he climbed the tree outside of Bella's window, safely hiding from view in the limbs.

As Edward situated himself in the tree, a surprising noise from Bella's room caught his attention. Bella's voice could be heard clear as day. He glanced into the window to see Bella sitting on her bed, her back toward the window, she was looking down at something and talking to hit. He tried to listen in carefully, assuming she was on the phone with someone.

"It's been a long week for me, but thanks for sticking by me." Bella spoke softly to the unknown person. "Even in all this craziness, I don't think I have ever loved someone the way I love you."

Edward felt his cold blood boil at those words. Bella was professing her love to someone that was not him. Immediately, jealously filled Edward and his mind raced to Jacob. Edward knew that was the only person Bella could be talking to and he was furious. His rage was uncontrollably, and all of his thoughts shifted to the werewolf that had taken Bella's heart. Swiftly Edward jumped from the tree, pulling two branches down with him, but he didn't care; all Edward wanted to do was rip Jacob apart.

* * *

The commotion outside her window caused Bella to jump up. She felt her heart race and cursed herself silently. She had been trying to talk soothingly to the baby and it had worked until the loud crashing noise had come from outside her window.

She stood slowly, placing a hand on her back for balance and rubbing her baby bump, trying to sooth the now restless baby.

"Let's go see what happened." Bella spoke to her unborn child. She moved to the window to see that a few branches had fallen from the tree outside of it, clearly the cause for the noise.

Bella rolled her eyes and was about to turn when a familiar smell penetrated her nostrils. She knew, if she had smelled it in one hundred years, she would still remember it. The smell of Edward Cullen filled her head and made her almost dizzy. Immediately all of her memories and feelings for Edward overwhelmed her, causing her to sit back on her bed in a slightly confused state. Why did she smell Edward Cullen right now?

* * *

Jacob placed the rest of his tools on the railing of the porch outside his house. He had fixed Bella's gas cap in five minutes flat, and now decided he was going to work on his new project; a crib for the baby. He knew he had six months until his child arrived, but he wanted to get started on the crib to surprise Bella with it. He knew she had not really gotten anything for the baby yet, and he figured a crib would be the perfect gift to start with. Plus, he wanted his child to know how important he or she was, and Jacob felt good about hand building the crib.

Sam had offered Jacob a hand, and Jacob was grateful for it, knowing building a crib from scratch was not easy. When Jacob had arrived on the porch with the rest of the tools, Sam had already assembled the basic frame of the crib. At this rate, Jacob knew the crib would be ready in no time.

"Thanks for the help, Sam." Jacob said.

"No problem." Sam said. "We are like family, Jacob. That means we help each other."

"Family…" Jacob nodded, looking at the crib, knowing his child would one day be in it.

"Are you going to the tribal meeting tonight?" Sam asked as Jacob began working on the railing of the crib.

"I think I might stay here and work on this. I know my dad is going though. Do you think it matters if I go or not?" Jacob asked.

Sam shrugged. "Doubt it." He glanced up, seeing Emily motioning at him from their home. "But I need to get going."

Jacob nodded. "Thanks again."

"It was nothing." Sam said, as he gracefully got up and ran toward Emily, scooping her up in his arms and carrying her the mile west to the area the tribal meetings always took place in.

With basically everyone at the meeting, Jacob found his part of the reservation extremely quiet. Jacob didn't mind it though. If gave him time to think and focus on building the crib. As he worked, his thoughts drifted to Bella and the week off from school that lay ahead of them. He wanted to spend as much time with her as possible, letting her know just how important both she and their unborn child were to him.

Jacob couldn't help but smile at the thought of Bella; she had always made him smile. Then, suddenly, Jacob felt a strong force from behind slam him against the side of his home. Immediately, his nostrils inhaled a familiar and horrible smell; vampire. Not just any vampire, but Edward Cullen was the one who had pushed him, Jacob knew without turning around.

"What do you want?" Jacob growled under the pressure of Edward's strength. In his wolf-state, Jacob knew he could tear Edward apart, but in his human state, Edward was much stronger.

"You to leave her alone." Edward whipped Jacob around so he could look at his face. "You can't have her!"

"If you're referring to Bella, you were the one who left her in the first place." Jacob sneered, knowing that Edward was smart and would not hurt Jacob now because of the treaty.

"But I am back now." Edward inched closer to Jacob's face, grinding his teeth together. "I left to keep her safe, not to give her to the dogs. Like hell I am going to let her ruin herself with your kind."

"She doesn't want you anymore, leech! Face it!" Jacob said.

"And you think she wants you?" Edward laughed. "She is just using you to forget about me, but she will never forget me, Jacob, don't you get that? Bella and I are connected in a way you will never understand."

Jacob eyed the crib next to him and then glanced back at Edward. "I have my own connection to Bella, trust me."

Edward too, for the first time, glanced over to see the crib on the porch; suddenly a puzzled look crossed his face.

"It's for my kid." Jacob said calmly, thinking Edward would understand what that meant. He wanted to throw in Edward's face that he and Bella were expecting a child.

But Edward did not understand, the thought of Bella sleeping with Jacob never crossed his mind. Instead, he thought of something else, something that made him ever angrier. "You're cheating on Bella?! You son of a bitch! She is too good for you and your dirty dog mits!"

"What?" Jacob realized Edward did not understand, and instead, now the vampire was livid.

"You don't deserve her!" Edward grabbed Jacob by the throat and raised him off the ground.

Jacob was suddenly panicked, knowing Edward could break his neck in this position without much thought. He began struggling against the vampire with everything he had. "I didn't cheat on her! I never would do that to her!"

Edward loosened his grip on Jacob, realizing if Jacob wasn't cheating, that there was only one other way Jacob was having a child. He let go of the werewolf. "What?"

"Bella's pregnant." Jacob took a deep breath, gathering himself and his rage together. "I gave her something you never could. I gave her a baby."

Edward was angry again, grabbing Jacob by the head and slamming him into the house. "Bella is not pregnant."

"You're damn right she is!" Jacob could feel that his ear was bleeding, but he didn't care, he loved the feeling of knowing he was crushing Edward from inside. "She gave me a part of her she never let you even have!"

"No!" Edward growled, slamming Jacob's head again.

"Yes!" Jacob sound himself laughing as he felt his lip split open from the impact of the blow.

Edward was so livid he couldn't see straight, He knew what would happen to the treaty if he hurt Jacob but he didn't care. He knew Jacob was lying, there was no way Bella was pregnant. She was not that kind of girl, and she was so young, it couldn't be possible. Jacob was just a liar, and he would pay for lying, Edward decided as he picked Jacob up and threw him hard through the window of his home, watching the wolf bash his head through the coffee table in his living room. Edward could smell the blood he knew was gushing from Jacob's unconscious frame, but it did not appeal to him at all; it was dirty dog blood from a dirty lying dog, he decided as he took off, away from Jacob's house and into the twilight. He needed to think and he knew the pack was coming up the hill quickly; he could smell them.

And just as Edward was out of the clearing of the reservation, Paul, Sam, and Jared did appear, smelling the scent of a vampire immediately. The rushed to the Black residence to find Jacob in a bloody pool, clearly unconscious on his floor.

"Is he alive?" Jared asked.

Sam moved quickly, lifting Jacob's head and sighing in relief. "He is okay, just cut his head."

"He is out cold." Paul growled. "It was a vampire. It was a Cullen!"

Sam nodded. "It was. When Jacob wake up we will let him decide what needs to be done."

"We know what needs to be done!" Paul growled. "The treaty…"

"We will let Jacob decide." Sam ordered calmly, as he picked Jacob up and carried his out the door, down to the first aid station on the reservation.


	9. Maybe He Wasn't Lying

Disclaimer: All characters and things associated with The Twilight Saga belong to Stephanie Meyers. This writing is for pure entertainment only.

Summary: Set during New Moon. After Edward leaves, Bella is miserable and Jacob is there for her until things go too far between them, leaving Bella in an unexpected condition. When Edward returns how will Bella explain her situation to him? B/E B/J pairings

**Chapter 9**

The Cullen's had been sitting in their living room for hours, waiting for Edward to return, and yet there was no sign of him. Alice was frantic, searching for Edward's future, but it was all an obscure blur to her now.

"This is getting stupid." Rosalie commented as she paced the room. "What if he doesn't come back?"

"He will." Carlisle sounded calmer then he was. "For all we know, Edward is having a nice conversation with Bella."

"Then why can't Alice see it?" Rosalie snapped.

"Bella's future is blocked out by Jacob's child and Jacob's prescience in her life." Esme reminded Rosalie. "We all know that."

"Right." Carlisle agreed with his wife. "So if Edward is with Bella, then Alice wouldn't be able to see past the block on Bella's future."

"I can see him." Alice spoke up suddenly, from her seat on the couch next to Jasper. Her eyes were blank, as if starring off into space.

"What do you see?" Jasper asked immediately.

Alice's face was straight, her brow rigid. "I just see him. He is upset, and angry…and hurt. Really hurt."

"Where is he, Alice?" Carlisle pressed.

Alice shook her head, looking up at Carlisle as the vision of Edward faded from her mind. "I can't tell. All I could see was his face, and all the feelings he had were overwhelming. He was angry about something, and upset about something else."

"So we have no idea where he could be?" Rosalie rolled her eyes.

"There are only two options." Emmett said, giving his side smile. "I mean, think about it? He is either with Bella, and upset she is pregnant, or he is ripping Jacob apart."

"Why would you say that?" Esme asked.

"Because, Edward loves Bella. I mean, knowing someone else touched your girl has got to set you off, right?" Emmett looked around. Sometimes, his simple thoughts made the most sense.

"Well then we need to get to him." Rosalie said. "We can't let him do anything stupid."

"Just give him some time…" Esme started.

"I hate to do this, but I think Rosalie is right." Carlisle said with a sigh. "We can't risk anyone's safety if Edward is as upset as we all know he will be when he finds out about Bella's condition."

Alice stood. "We should split up and look for him."

Carlisle nodded in agreement. "I think it's best if Alice and Esme go to the Swan residence. We need to keep Bella safe right now. She could be in real danger, so if it comes down to it, bring her back here, we can keep her safe."

"Okay." Esme nodded.

"Edward would never hurt her." Rosalie defended her brother.

"Not from Edward, but if Edward has done anything to any of the wolves, they will trace the problem back to Bella. They don't take kindly to outsiders when they bring pain to the pack, even if it is someone like Bella who is having one of their offspring." Carlisle explained.

"So, does that mean what I think it does…" Emmett questioned.

Carlisle nodded. "Jasper and I will go to the reservation, hopefully Edward has not been there already and we will not need to smooth anything out."

"What about us?" Emmett asked. He had wanted to go to the reservation and, if need be, take a few wolves out.

"I think it is best if you and Rosalie stay here, in case Edward does come back. Make sure he stays put." Carlisle said.

Emmett nodded, he did not like the plan but he would not argue with Carlisle.

"Good. Then let's do this." Carlisle shook his hands together as he watched Esme and Alice take off out the door and Rosalie and Emmett sit down on the couch. He knew Rosalie did not want to wait around at the house, but he also knew she would be the most lethal if he had allowed her to go to Bella's home or to the reservation. Rosalie's interests were only in keeping Edward safe, which would normally be okay, but this was an un-normal circumstance. Carlisle just prayed they would get to Edward before he did anything he would regret.

* * *

Esme and Alice made it to the Swan residence as fast as the jeep would take them. They pulled up and Alice hoped out of the car, noticing that both Bella's truck and Charlie's car were not parked in their usual spots.

"I have a bad feeling about this." Alice sighed.

"What?" Esme asked.

"Bella's truck isn't here." Alice inhaled the air. "But Edward was. I can smell him."

Esme took a deep breath, nodding in agreement as she listened closely. "But, I hear two hearts inside." She nodded toward the house. "A human one, and one beating entirely too fast to be human."

"The baby." Alice nodded with a slight sigh of relief; at least they knew Bella was inside. "So she is safe."

"Bella?" Esme shrugged, looking around. "If Edward was here and gone, I think Bella may be in danger. Like Carlisle said, if we didn't find Edward here, then he most likely went off to the reservation, which is going to make things ugly."

"We need to get Bella out of here." Alice realized.

Esme nodded, and motioned for Alice to go up the stairs first, after all, aside of Edward, Alice had been the closet of the Cullen's to Bella.

Alice complied and knocked on the door to the Swan's home, knowing Bella was moving as fast as she could to the door, but hating how long it took human's to perform such simple tasks. After a second the door swung open and a visibly pregnant and stunned Bella starred back at Alice and Esme.

"Bella!" Alice was relieved, pulling Bella in for a huge. "You're safe."

"Why wouldn't I be?" Bella was at a loss of words. Esme and Alice were the last two people she had expected to be on her front steps.

"We weren't sure how Edward would have reacted to…seeing you." Esme pointed to Bella's protruding Bella.

Bella immediately wrapped her arms around her stomach, as if to shield it from the Cullen's. "Well, Edward hasn't seen me so…"

"What are you talking about?" Alice was confused. She knew Edward had been there earlier that day.

"I mean, Edward hasn't seen me, he hasn't even tried to talk to me since…" Bella looked away; fighting back tears as the threatened her eyes. She had missed Esme and Alice and the rest of the Cullen's so much, but she was so angry that Edward had left her all alone. "Since he broke up with me."

"Bella, sweetie…" Esme realized what Bella's words meant. "May we come in? We need to talk to you. I know you're hurt and upset right now, but it is important. You…and your child may not be safe."

Bella looked up at Esme, a slight hint of shock in her eyes. She knew Esme would never lie to her, and the thought of her child's safety being threatened shook Bella to the core. Even if she was mad at Edward, she could not find the strength to push the rest of the Cullen's away.

"Uh…sure." Bella stepped aside to allow Alice and Esme into the living room.

Esme and Alice sat on the couch and Bella eased herself into Charlie's chair, wrapping a blanket around both herself and her growing hump of a stomach, as if the blanket would shield the unborn child from any danger.

"Bella, we know you probably don't understand why we are here…" Esme started.

"No. I don't." Bella felt her hormones rising, and couldn't help as all of her thoughts began spilling out of her mouth. "I don't understand any of this. I mean, it wasn't enough that Edward had to hurt me, but now you guys just keep popping back up, and I am trying…really trying to move on and its hard…"

"Bella…we know we aren't making it easy for you…" Esme reached out and stroked Bella's arm.

Esme's cold skin set a chain reaction off in Bella's body and she realized just how much she had missed Edward's icy touch. Immediately she began sobbing. It wasn't fair; Jacob was the one who deserved all of Bella's feelings and tears, not Edward. "I just want to be able to let go. Jacob has been so good to me, it isn't fair to him."

"Bella, listen…" Esme tried to calm the girl. "We aren't here to talk you into leaving Jacob; in fact it's the opposite of that. Jacob could be in danger here."

"What do you mean?" Bella looked up at Esme.

"Edward was here earlier, Bella." Alice told her friend "He left our house earlier today because he wanted to come see you. I tried to talk him out of it knowing…" She motioned to Bella's stomach to indicate Bella's pregnant state. "But I couldn't tell him you were pregnant, so I had no valid reason to make him stay home."

Bella shook her head sadly. How she had wished Alice spoke the truth and that Edward had seen her. "You're wrong. Edward was never here."

"He was." Esme corrected Bella. "His scent is strong, especially by your bedroom window. He was here."

"Well, then I didn't see him." Bella shrugged.

"But if he saw you…" Alice started. "If he saw that you were pregnant…"

"He couldn't have." Bella said, refusing to believe the vampire's in front of her. "Because he was never here."

"Bella, this is not a game. We could all be in real danger." Alice was getting frustrated.

"Bella, are you sure you don't remember any sign that Edward was near you, or your room or…" Esme tried.

Suddenly, the thoughts of the tree cracking outside her window caused the blood to drain from Bella's face. She immediately realized that Esme and Alice were right; Edward must have been there. "I…he was." She looked up blankly at the vampires.

"Did he see you?" Esme asked.

Bella shrugged. "He could have." She was angry now. Why would Edward have any right to judge her or her pregnancy; he had walked out on her. "But who cares? Why would it be his business what _condition _I am in?"

"Bella, Edward loves you." Alice said. 'If he knows Jacob got you pregnant…"

"What?" Bella pressed. "Would he run off again?"

"No." Alice shook her head sadly. "I know him. He is my brother, and I know what he felt for you. Bella, if he knew Jacob did this to you he would go after Jacob. I know it."

"He wouldn't." Bella shook her head. "It would violate the treaty. Edward would never be that stupid."

"For you, he would be." Alice told her.

"And that's why we are here, in case he was that stupid." Esme told Bella. "Because if Edward went after Jacob and did anything the treaty _is_ violated; and if Jacob is hurt, the pack is going to look at you as the link. Bella, you and your baby are not safe."

"The pack would never hurt this baby." Bella rubbed her three month pregnant stomach. "They love this baby."

"You're not one of them, Bella." Alice reminded her. "If Jacob isn't there to protect you, and the pack feels threatened, they will take you out to make things easier for them."

"Why wouldn't Jacob be around?" Bella raised an eyebrow. In the back of her mind, she had an idea why Jacob wouldn't be around, and she also knew that Alice was right about the pack, they took care of their own first and she was not one of them, even if she was carrying one of their children.

"You have no idea just how much Edward loves you, do you?" Alice shook her head. "He would move planets for you, killing one werewolf is nothing."

"Edward would never!" Bella stood as quickly as the extra weight she was carrying would allow. "He can't hurt Jacob! I need Jacob!"

"What you need is to come with us!" Alice stood. "We need to protect you."

"No." Bella shook her head. "I need to find Jacob." The truth was, Bella knew she loved Edward more than life, but he had cut her so deeply, and hurt her so much that she was unsure she would ever forgive him. Now, if he hurt Jacob, the father of her unborn child, the one who never walked away from her, she knew she could never forgive Edward. She needed Jacob, because Jacob would never leave her, not like Edward had.

"Bella, you need to keep this baby safe." Esme reminded her. "If something already happened to Jacob, then neither you or your baby or any of us are safe. You need to trust us, and sweetie, you have no reason not to. I know how much Edward hurt you, but you have to believe he did it out of love, and what we are doing now is out of love for you. Please, trust us."

Bella took a deep breath; it was all too much for her to process at that moment. She knew that if Esme and Alice said she was in danger, there was a good chance she was, but she also knew going with the Cullen's would hurt Jacob, assuming Edward had not already done that. The weird part was, thinking of Edward and Jacob fighting or hurting each other tore Bella up. She knew she would be mad if Edward had hurt Jacob, but she also knew she would be angry at Jacob if he laid a hand on Edward. Truthfully, she was concerned with her baby's safety, and then Edwards, above everyone else's. She knew that was wrong but it was a feeling she could not deny. "Fine. Let's go."

Alice sighed in relief. "Come on, let's get you in the car and I will pack up some of your stuff."

"Stuff?" Bella was confused. "Why would I need stuff?"

"In case you can't come back here, Bella." Alice told her.

"Why wouldn't I be able to?" Bella was panicking now.

"Bella, just trust us, sweetie. We will do whatever it takes to keep you safe." Esme assured the pregnant teenage girl as she helped her out the door and into the jeep outside.

* * *

Carlisle pulled his car up onto the reservation and Jasper immediately tensed up in the passenger seat. Carlisle took that as a bad sign.

"What is it, Jasper?" Carlisle asked.

"The anger…" Jasper seemed to shiver from it. "Everyone is so angry here."

Carlisle looked ahead to see Sam and Paul making their way down the hill from the Black's house and toward their car. Carlisle quickly got out of the car, motioning for Jasper to do the same.

"Cullen, you are not welcome here!" Paul spat.

Carlisle put his hands up in defense. "We did not come here to fight."

"Well one of you had no problem knocking Jacob around." Sam said, more calmly then Paul. "I can imagine which of you it was."

"Edward was here then." Carlisle assumed.

"He put Jacob threw a window!" Paul growled, his temper flaring.

Carlisle eyed Jasper, and Jasper knew immediately what to do. He began to calm Paul's rage down, hoping it would allow the werewolf to think straight.

"Is Jacob alright?" Carlisle asked, calmly.

"He is out cold right now." Sam said.

"Would you like me to take a look at him?" Carlisle offered.

"No thanks, _doc_." Paul sneered. "We can take care of our own just fine." Even with Jasper's calming sensation, Paul was still a lose canon.

"Paul, go back to the house." Sam ordered.

Paul clenched his jaw at Sam, indicating he did not want to leave but knew Sam's orders would be obeyed, so he turned on his heel and ran back up to the Black's home.

"We are sorry for any problems Edward has caused." Carlisle apologized. "You have to understand why he did it…"

"I do." Sam told Carlisle, surprising the vampire. "I understand he had feelings for Bella and it is clear as day that she did and maybe still does for him. But a woman is no excuse for a vampire to come here and hurt one of us."

"We understand that." Jasper spoke up.

"And I understand why Edward came, but it doesn't excuse the behavior. The treaty…" Sam started. "Edward attacked on our lands."

"He loves Bella, he was defending her." Carlisle tried to reason.

"She does not need defending from Jacob." Sam said quickly. "Jacob would never hurt that girl, even after all of the pain she has brought to his life. He only sees her, and no one can reason with him any other way."

"Well, that is how Edward is with her as well." Carlisle explained.

"Bella seems to be causing trouble for everyone." Sam almost laughed.

Carlisle didn't like the ton in Sam's voice as he said that, but chose to ignore it. "About the treaty…"

"It will be up to Jacob what is to happen when he wakes up. Between you and I, I would like to let this whole thing blow over and get rid of Bella. She is a lovely girl but a liability to all involved. Your family and our tribe will never get along as long as she is in the picture. But I leave the decision up to Jacob. You will know what he has decided when he wakes up, trust me." Sam clenched his jaw, knowing that Paul and Jared were talking down the hill behind him without even needing to turn around. "I suggest you leave now."

Carlisle nodded, uncertain and motioned for Jasper to get in the car. Once inside, he started it quickly and sped off, away from the reservation.

"What was all of that about?" Jasper asked, after a moment.

"It is what I feared. The pack sees Bella as the problem, the only reason we are fighting with them. She has caused the rivalry, and they don't want to deal with it anymore." Carlisle explained.

"But she is having Jacob's child." Jasper reasoned.

"But I don't think Jacob imprinted on her, so the pack feels no real reason to protect that child, even if Jacob doesn't know that, I could see it in Sam's eyes." Carlisle explained.

"But Jacob won't hurt Bella, he will come for Edward." Jasper said.

Carlisle nodded. "Either way, Bella is in great danger."

"Hopefully Alice and Esme got to her, then." Jasper said, partly blaming himself for this mess; if only he had not tired to bite Bella in the first place, months earlier.

* * *

Edward found his way to the meadow easily. He just needed to get away from everything to some place where he could think, and immediately he knew that place was the meadow, _their _meadow, the one he had shared with Bella.

He arrived to find the meadow barren, not a single flower had grown. He sighed, collapsing to his knees and digging at the dirt.

Edward was trying to wrap his mind around everything that had just happened. He knew he had made a mistake attacking Jacob, but he had been so angry, so blind with jealousy, it seemed like the only logical thing at the time. But now he knew he would probably have to pay for the attack later.

However, the idea of werewolves hunting his family down was not what truly bothered Edward at that particular moment. What really cut Edward up was what Jacob had said of Bella. Edward could not imagine that Jacob was telling the truth, there was no way Bella was pregnant, and especially not with Jacob's child. Edward knew Bella had loved him as much as he loved her, and he knew she would not move on so quickly. Edward regretting leaving Bella at first, but ultimately felt it had been the right thing. Now, he was not as sure.

If Jacob was telling the truth, however, Edward knew that would change everything. He knew it meant that Bella, whether in a moment of weakness or as a way to get back at him for leaving her earlier in the year, had indeed slept with Jacob and was now carrying the wolf's child. That changed how Edward could handle seeing Bella, how he could be a part of her life, and how he would handle Jacob. Edward knew he would always love Bella and always want to keep her safe, but could he be so accepting if she had allowed Jacob to get her pregnant? Edward was unsure, and gave a silent prayer to the God he did not know he would ever get to meet, that Jacob was just trying to anger him and that Bella was in fact not pregnant at all.

Then Edward stood, turning away from the meadow and taking off into the woods. He needed to get home and let his family know he had created somewhat of a mess at the reservation. He assumed it was nothing Carlisle could not fix.

* * *

Emmett and Rosalie were in the living room of the Cullen's home. Emmett was sitting on the floor, playing video games, but Rosalie was pacing by the window, glancing out periodically for any site of anyone from her family.

"Rose, baby, relax." Emmett said from his seat on the floor.

"Relax?" Rosalie snapped, turning quickly to Emmett. "Do you understand the ramifications of all of this? If anything happens to Edward I swear Bella is…"

"Bella is what?" Emmett looked at Rosalie. "This isn't really Bella's fault. I mean, Edward left her."

"So she had the right to go off and get pregnant?" Rosalie looked out the window.

Emmett sighed, standing. He knew what this was really about. "Does this actual have anything to do with the fact that Edward might have violated a major treaty, or that he is really upset or is it about the simple fact that Bella is pregnant?"

Rosalie continued to stare out the window. "She gets everything."

Emmett nodded, wrapping his strong arms around Rosalie. "Babe, I know you always wanted kids, and I am sorry I can't give them to you, but you can't get mad at Bella, because as angry as you are, she is probably equally as scared."

"I…I don't hate her." Rosalie looked at Emmett. "Despite what everyone thinks. I think it was just stupid for her to get involved in any of this, whether it is with us or the wolves, humans don't belong in our world."

Emmett nodded. He had to agree there. He loved Bella, but he did recall their lives being a lot easier when she was not around. Still, he knew she made Edward happy, or used to anyway, and that was enough for him. "The thing is, she is involved, and if need be we are going to protect her."

"I worry about Edward first." Rosalie glanced at Emmett and then nodded out the window as Esme pulled the jeep up the driveway. "Looks like they are back."

Rosalie watched as Esme and Alice got out of the jeep, and then as Alice moved to the backseat, opening the door and helping a rather visibly pregnant Bella get out of the car.

"She looks more pregnant then three months." Rosalie scoffed at Bella from the window.

Emmett didn't respond. He wasn't really sure how pregnant women were supposed to look at any time during their pregnancy. Instead he moved to open the front door, as Esme, Alice, and Bella walked in.

"Bella." Emmett smiled, pulling the fragile human in for a big hug. "We missed you."

"You too, Emmett." Bella seemed unsure of herself.

"Where is Edward?" Rosalie ignored Bella's presence completely.

"Rose, manners?" Esme eyed Bella, indicating Rosalie should greet the human.

Instead, Rosalie stuck her nose higher in the air and crossed her arms. "Where is Edward?"

Alice rolled her eyes and pushed Bella passed Rosalie into the living room. "He wasn't there."

"So does that mean…?" Emmett trailed off his sentence, unsure of how much Bella knew.

"He probably headed up to the reservation." Alice told Emmett.

"Great." Emmett cracked his knuckles. "Let's hope we don't have to bash any dogs skulls in."

"_Hey_." Bella eyed Emmett quickly, rubbing a hand over her hump of a belly.

"Sorry." Emmett apologized. "I forgot what it was." He motioned to her stomach. "And congrats…I think."

"Please." Rosalie snorted. "Let's not pretend to be happy the human and her mutt of a baby haven't just destroyed our family."

Bella, upon hearing Rosalie's comment quickly looked away. The words cut her like a knife, and she realized that was because she really did care what the Cullen's thought of her. She had always wanted to be perfect for Edward. _Edward_. Her thoughts drifted to him, despite the complicated mess her life was at that moment. Immediately, she felt guilty for thinking of the vampire, knowing she should have been more concerned for Jacob's safety, rather than Edward's wellbeing.

"Rosalie, that language will not be tolerated in this house." Esme defended Bella. "You apologize."

"I will not!" Rosalie said quickly.

Before Esme could argue more, Bella found her voice.

"It's okay." Bella glanced at the vampires in the room. "I deserve whatever you have for me. But the thing is, I made a mistake, I am trying to deal with it the best I can. I love Edward, but he left me, and Jacob never has."

"We know." Alice patted Bella's back, and then shot a glance at Rosalie. "Don't we?"

Rosalie just rolled her eyes at Alice as Alice helped Bella take a seat on the couch and continued to rub the pregnant girls back.

Suddenly, before the tension in the room could grow any more, Carlisle and Jasper rushed in from the garage.

"Carlisle?" Esme questioned, seeing the frantic look on her husband's face.

Carlisle immediately relaxed when he saw Bella. "Bella? Thank God you're here."

"Yeah." Bella nodded, slightly confused.

"What happened?" Alice's voice was now alarmed, causing Bella to take a deep breath, concerned as to why her vampire friend was so concerned.

"Edward went to the reservation." Carlisle said.

"And?" Bella suddenly felt panicked, wondering now if Jacob were okay. All thoughts of Edward were now in the back of her mind, confusing her even more. She glanced at her stomach. Jacob needed to be okay, she couldn't have his child alone.

"He got to Jacob." Carlisle said.

"Did he…did he kill him?" Emmett would not look at Bella as he asked the question.

"No." Carlisle shook his head. "But Jacob is in bad shape. Edward threw him through a window and knocked him out cold. His head was cut pretty badly."

"Oh God…" Bella felt as if she were going to faint as the panic grew. Now, instead of worrying about Edward, she was angry at him for trying to kill the father of her child, and the one man who had loved her unconditionally through everything.

"Jasper?" Alice eyed him, sensing Bella's panic.

Jasper immediately sat in front of Bella, taking her hands in his and glad that the baby inside of her was giving off the scent of a werewolf, making Bella's smell unappetizing to him. "Bella, calm down…"

After a second Bella did calm down, and looked up at Carlisle. "Is Jacob going to be okay?"

"I expect he will." Carlisle nodded, hoping Bella could not tell he was lying. Truthfully, he had no idea if Jacob would be okay.

"Great, the mutt will live." Rosalie rolled her eyes sarcastically. "What about Edward?"

"Edward's fate is being left up to Jacob. The pack won't do anything until he wakes." Carlisle explained.

"Well, we know they are going to come after us." Emmett said. "Or at least Edward, and Edward's fight is my fight."

Carlisle nodded. "I know."

"No." Bella was much calmer now. "No I will talk to Jacob, tell him it was a misunderstanding. He will listen." She nodded in Carlisle's direction. "He will listen to me." The truth was, Bella knew her feelings for Edward and Jacob were confusing, but with the way things seemed to be going, she needed to stand by Jacob, because he would never leave her, or their child. Edward, as much as she loved him, would never love her, she decided. Still, she did not want to see him or the Cullen's hurt. If she could do nothing else for Edward, she would ensure his safety.

"I don't know if that will work, Bella." Carlisle said truthfully. "I was talking to Sam and…the pack sees you as the source of controversy in all of this. I am not sure how far they are willing to protect you any longer."

"Rightly so." Rosalie mumbled.

"And…" Carlisle passed a sharp glance in Rosalie's direction. "I fear for your safety around them."

"Jacob would never let them hurt me." Bella said immediately, for some reason feeling defensive.

"Well…in case Jacob can't make the decision." Carlisle said slowly.

"Why wouldn't he be able to?" Bella retorted quickly. "You just said he would be fine. Look, Esme and Alice kind of explained why you think I am in danger, but Jacob would never let anyone hurt me. He would never hurt me. As long as he is okay then I will be safe."

"I know…but I…" Carlisle was unsure how to tell Bella he did not know what Jacob's condition would be like.

"He will be fine." Edward's voice filled the room as he sulked in. He stood in the door frame, his eyes penetrating Bella. She looked beautiful sitting there on his couch, and he could feel every part of him ache for her. He had missed her so much, unaware at first of just how much he needed her in his life. He had always tried to protect her, but he realized now, that she had protected him from himself. He had been so lost without her.

Upon seeing him, Bella lost her breath. He was more beautiful then she could have ever remembered. Every feature on his face called to her, and the instinct to jump up and rush into his cold arms overwhelmed her. She had missed him, her soul mate. She realized in that split second she never wanted to be apart from him again. All thoughts of Jacob banished, and then, suddenly, she felt her unborn child kick and Jacob's face came flooding through her memory. She quickly looked away from Edward, knowing, regardless of how much she wanted that vampire a few feet from her' she could never have him, not now. Besides, even if she could, he would not want her.

"Thank God you're back." Carlisle nodded to Edward. "Although I can't say your behavior was acceptable."

"I never intended on hurting Jacob." Edward's eyes did not leave Bella's. He watched her frame hunched over on the couch. He could not see her hidden stomach, the way she sat and immediately realized, to his relief, that Jacob must have been lying. "Jacob just…" Edward started to laugh a bit, causing everyone to raise an eyebrow. "He made up the most ridiculous story, probably to get a reaction out of me, and…well…he got it."

"Still…the treaty…" Jasper started.

"If they call this a violation of the treaty then they are ludicrous." Edward moved into the room. More relaxed now, knowing Bella was safe in his home, and, as far as he knew, not pregnant. "I mean…Jacob should be able to take a harder hit than that."

"Well, apparently you knocked him out." Emmett laughed with Edward.

"That's not funny." Bella glanced up at Edward and Emmett. She loved Edward, she felt it with every fiber of her being, but at the same time, she was so angry with him. Angry that he had left her, and angry that he had beaten up the father of her unborn child. "You could have killed him."

Edward's laugh faded as he looked seriously at Bella. "I would never take your precious little boy from you, even if he is a liar."

"He is not." Bella defended Jacob as she watched Edward's beautiful eyes stare back at her. She blamed her hormones for the overprotective feeling she had for Jacob.

"If you only knew." Edward shook his head. "Do you know what he said to get me so angry? The lie he made up about you?"

"Jacob doesn't lie." Bella stood by her statement.

"He told me you were pregnant!" Edward laughed as the words rolled off his tongue, and then he glanced around the room to the rest of his family. "He tells me such an outrageous lie, and then expects me not to get angry."

No one else was laughing with Edward; all of the Cullen's realized that Edward had no clue Bella was pregnant now.

"Maybe he wasn't lying." Bella said, grabbing the hand Alice had thrown out in support, and slowly standing. She could not make contact with Edward's eyes as she revealed her pregnant form. "I'm three months pregnant."

When Bella got no response from Edward, she looked up at him, trying to read his expression. She had expected to see anger or disappointed or sadness when she glanced at him, but she saw nothing in Edward's beautiful face.

Edward's face was like a stone. His mouth hung slightly opened, as the shock of his tiny Bella's stomach being ballooned out fully entered his undead body. He did not move, he did not breathe, he could barely think straight. He felt as though his entire world had just crashed down around him and nothing made any sense anymore. Bella was supposed to be his, forever. He was supposed to come back to Forks and apologize and never leave her side again. Instead she was standing in front of him, pregnant by a werewolf. Edward had wanted forever with Bella, and now he realized he was too late.


	10. Stupid and Irresponsible

Disclaimer: All characters and things associated with The Twilight Saga belong to Stephanie Meyers. This writing is for pure entertainment only.

Summary: Set during New Moon. After Edward leaves, Bella is miserable and Jacob is there for her until things go too far between them, leaving Bella in an unexpected condition. When Edward returns how will Bella explain her situation to him? B/E B/J pairings

**Chapter 10**

Bella continued to stand in the middle of the Cullen's living room in front of Edward, her pregnant stomach feeling vulnerable. She was waiting for Edward to respond with something, anything. Whether it be anger or disgust or sorrow, she just needed him to do something. Instead he stood there as if he were a statue, his eyes glued to her belly.

"Say something." Bella finally spoke, her hands absentmindedly resting on her stomach.

Bella's voice caused Edward's eyes to break from her stomach and shoot up to her face, meeting her glance. He could see her eyes were saying something, but he could not read it, the expression on her face was foreign to him.

Carlisle moved to Edward, placing a hand on his son's arm. He was still unsure of how Edward was going to react to Bella's pregnancy. Edward's facial expression told him less than it had told Bella. "Edward…"

"I'm fine." Edward looked away from Bella for the first time since she had stood. He knew Carlisle was worried Edward would do something, but Edward wanted to assure his father that he would not, could not, ever hurt Bella. Sure, he was beyond crushed by her condition, but his love for her was as strong as it had ever been. "Can I speak to Bella alone?"

"Sure." Carlisle nodded, motioning for the rest of the Cullen's to follow him out of the living room. They all complied and soon Edward was left standing with Bella in the room.

Silence filled the living room, and Bella thought she was going to go mad; this was not how she had expected Edward to react at all.

"Can you please say something?" Bella spoke again.

"What should I say?" Edward shrugged, digging his hands into his pockets.

"I don't know." Bella threw her hands out. "Anything. Tell me you're mad or disappointed or…tell me you hate me, I don't know."

"I don't hate you, Bella." Edward narrowed his eyes. She may have crushed him, but he could never hate her. She was the only person he had ever truly loved.

Bella could feel tears coming on, and she was trying so hard to fight them off. "I just…I don't understand you. Why did you even come back here?"

"To see you were safe." Edward told her, almost sadly. "And because…because I could never let you go, Bella. I didn't want to leave you."

"But you did!" Bella snapped.

"And you ran off to Jacob!" Edward suddenly felt some anger at the situation he now found himself in. "I mean…I have barely been gone five months and you're what? Three months pregnant? That was fast!"

"Don't even…" Bella was flustered now, and felt the baby inside of her kick, clearly sensing her anger. She quickly rubbed a hand over it to calm the wolf-baby down. "You have no idea how much you hurt me!"

"Enough to get you to run off to Jacob's bed!" Edward shot back. "Did I really mean so little that you…"

"I was miserable without you!" Bella cut him off.

"So what? Did Jacob take the pain away a little?" Edward scoffed.

"Jacob was here for me when you weren't." Bella defended the wolf.

"I was trying to protect you, to get you to have a normal life, and instead you let a werewolf get your pregnant." Edward lowered his voice now, but it still cut Bella like a knife.

"You think I planned this?" Bella motioned to her stomach. "You think I wanted to be pregnant before I even graduated high school?"

"I don't know!" Edward retaliated. "Because I don't know you! The Bella I knew…the Bella that was a part of my life would have never done something so irresponsible and stupid."

"So now I am stupid?" Bella asked.

"And irresponsible." Edward added insult to injury.

Bella realized in that moment, she had never been so angry with Edward. How dare he call her irresponsible, she had been nothing but responsible about the situation. If anything, he was irresponsible, after all, he had been the one to leave her alone and seeking comfort, and Jacob had been the one to give that to her. If the entire situation was anyone's fault, it was Edward's.

"You're impossible." Bella turned on her heel and stomped into the kitchen., as tears threatened her eyes. She wanted to go home. She couldn't look at Edward anymore.

* * *

Jacob woke up with a huge head ache and a soft cushion under his back. He realized he was on the couch in his living room and tried to sit up too quickly, immediately feeling the blood rush to his pounding temple.

"Look who's awake." Jared's voice filled Jacob's ears.

Jacob looked up to see Paul, Sam, and Jared all sitting at his kitchen table with Billy. "Ugh…" Was all Jacob managed out before sitting back down on the couch.

"Head hurt?" Sam asked, standing and moving toward Jacob.

"A little." Jacob nodded.

"Remember what happened?" Sam asked.

Immediately thoughts of fighting with Edward on the front porch filled Jacob's head. "Cullen." He growled sitting up again.

"Easy there, son." Billy wheeled over to Jacob. "You need to watch your head, you took quite a spill."

"My head is fine." Jacob said. "Where is Bella?"

"Should we know?" Paul shrugged, not concerned with Bella, but more concerned with how the treaty would be handled.

"I need to find her." Jacob stood. "Edward…he could have gone after her."

"He never would." Paul said simply. "She is fine."

"He is right." Billy nodded. "Charlie would have called if something happened."

"Charlie is at work." Jacob remembered.

"Who cares?" Paul snapped. "Bella is the whole reason that this thing started anyway. Girl is nothing but trouble."

"Trouble?" Jacob was fuming. "I'll give you trouble…" He took a step forward.

"Bella is fine, Jacob." Sam put a hand on the younger boys shoulder to try and calm him down. "Right now, we need to deal with the treaty."

"No." Jacob shrugged Sam's hand off of his shoulder. "Right now I need to make sure Bella and my kid are safe. We can worry about the treaty later."

Before anyone could object, Jacob was out the door and hoping into Bella's red truck. He was in such a hurry to make sure that she was okay, and he missed the pieces of the crib that now were shattered all over his porch thanks to Edward.

Sam, Paul, and Jared moved out the door to watch Jacob leave the reservation.

"His head is in the clouds." Paul shook his head.

Sam nodded in agreement. "It's a shame. He puts too much stock in Bella."

"And he hasn't even imprinted on her." Jared reminded the group. "So it's not like she is it for him anyway."

"That is part of the reason I don't think we can condone his relationship with her much longer." Sam said, truthfully. "She is becoming a liability and she is not the one for him."

"But she is having his kid." Jared said.

"That kid is going to be nothing put a problem. Half-wolf, half-pale face; It's just going to be a problem."

Sam nodded. "I wish there was another way, but after tonight, I can see that having Bella around the pack is not safe."

"But how do we approach this with Jacob?" Paul asked. "I mean, he has had a crush on Bella since he met her, and knowing he has competition with a vampire for her is not going to make him like her any less."

"But he hasn't imprinted." Sam said. "We just need to remind him of that, and that she isn't it for him. Maybe we will be able to get him to see where we are coming from."

"But what about Bella and the kid?" Jared asked.

"Bella can live, just not around us. The further she is from the pack the less of a problem she causes, but the child…it can't be left with Bella. She wouldn't know what to do for it, it needs a pack, since it will be half wolf." Sam said.

"So we take the baby from her when she has it then?" Paul suggested. "I mean, it is half of us."

Sam nodded. "That's an option. That's the only option Jacob will have if he wants to keep the baby. We will talk to him when he gets back, but he can't have Bella and the child."

"What if he picks Bella?" Jared asked.

"Then we discard the baby. She isn't too far along yet anyway." Sam looked down as he spoke. This was not how he wanted any of this to go; if Jacob had imprinted on Bella it would have been different but he did not, and therefore, Bella was not meant to be a part of the packs world. She was too much of a risk, too much of a liability, and she brought too much of a threat with her. She couldn't stay in Jacob's world any longer.

* * *

Bella stormed her way into the Cullen's kitchen to find Esme and Carlisle sitting at the table. They both looked up to see Bella's distressed face, and almost tear-filled eyes. She was trying her best not to cry in front of them, but she knew it was getting harder with each second, her hormones from the pregnancy flying all over.

"Can someone take me home?" Bella asked, her voice coming out softer then she would have liked.

"Its not safe for you to leave yet, Bella." Carlisle told her.

"Jacob won't let anyone do anything to me." Bella felt like she was begging permission to leave. "I…I can't be here anymore."

"Bella, honey…" Esme stood and moved to the pregnant girl, wrapping a cold arm around her warm body. "We are sorry for how Edward is acting but you have to know he doesn't mean it. He is hurt…"

"He left me." Bella said quickly. "I didn't ask him to, I didn't want him to, but he left."

"He thought he was doing it for your own good." Carlisle defended Edward, although his voice was soft and carrying toward Bella. "But none of us expect you to forgive him."

"Then let me just go home." Bella pleaded. "The faster I am away from here, the faster all of this goes away."

Carlisle sighed. He was genuinely concerned for Bella's safety. He loved her as much as he loved his own daughters, and he feared the wolves would do something drastic. Still, he knew he could not voice these concerns to Bella without sounding like he hated Jacob and was pushing her to stay with Edward. The truth was, Carlisle knew that Edward would never be over Bella, but he also understood how Bella's situation made the decision between Jacob and Edward so much harder on her, and in her defense, Carlisle understood why it made more sense to Bella to stay with Jacob. He would not tell her to deny her own child its father. He really was just truly concerned with Bella's safety.

"Emmett and Jasper are outside watching for intruders. If none of the wolves come to…deal with this situation…in a few hours, then I will take you home myself." Carlisle offered.

Bella sighed, trying to fight back tears as she rubbed circles on her growing Bella. "Hours…is too long."

"Bella, please." Esme helped move the girl to a seat at the table. "Just relax and trust us. The stress of all of this isn't good for the baby." She motioned to Bella's stomach, understanding just how much Bella loved the child growing inside of her. After all, Esme could relate, mother to mother.

Bella nodded, after a moment, sitting in the chair and rubbing her stomach. "Okay."

"Good." Esme smiled, sitting next to Bella. She knew she needed to keep Bella calm and her mind off of Edward until they could sort everything else out. She glanced up at Carlisle, her eyes giving away her plan.

"I…I'm going to check on Emmett and Jasper." Carlisle stood, understanding from the look Esme gave him that she wanted some time alone with Bella.

Once Carlisle was gone, Esme turned to Bella. "So…when is the baby due?" Esme knew a conversation about Bella's child would take the teenage girls mind off of everything else, and focus it on something she was happy about, her baby.

Bella looked up, surprised that Esme cared about such things. "Uh…in like six months." Bella looked down.

"That long?" Esme was surprised, she guessed Bella to be much further along from the size of her.

"Yeah." Bella blushed. "I…uh…the baby develops its human parts faster because it's half wolf or something…so I look bigger." She looked up at Esme.

"Well, at least you know it's going to be a big, healthy baby." Esme smiled softly.

Bella nodded, also smiling. "Yeah."

"And…do you know what it is yet? Boy or girl?" Esme asked.

Bella shook her head. "Not yet. I don't know if I really want to know anyway."

"It's good to be surprised." Esme agreed. "Any names picked out?"

Bella shook her head again. "We haven't really gotten around to talking about it."

"Well, you will be surprised." Esme smiled, fondly thinking of her human husband, from so many years earlier. "Jacob will have a few picked out when you bring it up. Most men think about names before anything else."

Bella was slightly surprised that Esme spoke so freely and almost fondly of Jacob. She was sure the Cullen's hated him as much as Edward hated him, or as much as Jacob hated them all. "I…I haven't talked to him about it."

"Well, when you do, let me know if I was right." Esme smiled, squeezing her nose slightly as if to tell Bella a secret. "Because I bet he has like ten names picked out already."

Bella couldn't help but smile at Esme and her words. She realized in that moment, regardless of Edward or anything else. Bella did not want to lose the friendship she had with the rest of the Cullen family.

* * *

Edward sat in his room, facing the big windows. His mind drifted back to the first time Bella had come to his house, when he jumped out those windows with her on his back and scaled the trees, both mesmerizing and frightening her. The memory saddened Edward, knowing it was something that would never happen again. He had lost the fight for Bella to Jacob. He could see that now, everything he had done and said to her earlier had come out all wrong, but now it was done, he could not take it back.

"Edward?" Rosalie called, surprisingly softly, from behind him.

Edward turned to see his blonde sister standing in his doorway. Of all people to come talk to him, Rosalie was the last one he would have thought of. He realized, if she was standing there, that he had really messed everything up. He smiled sadly, she was probably there to congratulate him for getting rid of Bella; she had never liked the human.

"Can I come in?" Rosalie asked.

Edward nodded; sliding down the small couch he was sitting on and motioning for her to come sit next to him.

Rosalie complied and sat down, silent for a few seconds. "Are…are you going to be okay?"

Edward glanced over at Rosalie, wondering how she could ask such a stupid question. Of course he would not be okay, he had just destroyed any hope he had of having any type of relationship with Bella Swan. "I…no. I'm not." He looked away.

"Then you're not over her." Rosalie said as more of a statement then a question.

"No." Edward shook his head at the stupidity of her statement. "How can I be?" He turned quickly toward Rosalie, clenching his teeth together. "Bella was my life."

"Then why are you sitting up here?" Rosalie asked.

Rosalie's question surprised Edward. He was unsure of where she was going with it, but this was not what he had expected her to ask. He had assumed she had come up here to tell him he did the right thing by pushing Bella away. "What?"

"Edward, I know how deeply you care for her." Rosalie said. "And even if she is not my _favorite_ person, she makes you happy." Rosalie seemed to struggle on her words. "And you shouldn't give up what makes you happy."

Edward narrowed his eyes at his sister, knowing this was the closest he would get to an apology from her. "She is happy now. I…I can't take that away."

"Happy?" Rosalie raised an eyebrow. "How could Bella be happy carrying that wolf's parasite around for nine months?"

"Jacob…makes her happy." Edward looked down at his hands, knowing if he could cry he would.

"But she still loves you." Rosalie told him. She could not allow her brother to slowly kill himself in this manner. She knew now, Bella was what kept Edward stable, Bella was his world, and Bella seemed to be the only reason he wanted to exist.

"No." Edward shook his head, sadly. "Not anymore."

"That's not true, Edward." Alice entered the room, her small pixie-figure sitting down at his feet in one swift motion. "She loves you. She told me."

"And anyone could see it." Rosalie said. "When you came into the room today…her eyes lit up."

"With anger." Edward stared at the floor avoiding both of his sister's eyes.

"She was relieved you were okay." Alice told him. "I know Bella, and she was not angry at first. She only got angry after realizing you were fine."

"I messed this up." Edward said. "I…I yelled at her, I said things…things I shouldn't have said, things I can't take back." He looked up at Alice. "She doesn't love me anymore. She doesn't even want to see me, she wants Jacob."

"Edward." Alice placed a hand on her brothers. "She loves you. It's just…things are rather complicated right now, wouldn't you say? She thought you were gone forever, Jacob got her pregnant, now…what went on between you and Jacob certainly complicates things."

"I know." Edward shook his head. "I…I put her in danger."

Rosalie shook her head. "Nothing will happen to Bella. We won't allow it."

"Right." Alice agreed. "Right now, you just need to stick by her, however she needs you."

"She doesn't need me, Alice." Edward said sharply. "That's the whole problem."

"She does need you." Alice said. "Even if she doesn't seem it. She needs you as much as you need her."

"She is my everything." Edward sighed.

"Edward, trust me." Alice took his hand. "When I could see her future, you belonged in it."

"Your visions change, depending on what the person wants." Edward reminded her.

"She still wants you." Alice told him. "So you need to help her get through all of this. It will work out."

Edward shook his head. "I hurt her. I don't know how to apologize for all I have done to her."

"You can start by going downstairs and talking to her instead of moping around up here, and losing any chance you have at fixing this." Rosalie told him.

"Why are you pushing this, Rosalie?" Edward had to ask."You hate Bella."

"I don't hate her. I just think she does stupid things, _sometimes_. But it's not my feelings that matter right now, it's yours. I won't watch you rot away over this." Rosalie stood. "Plus, even if she annoys me, there is no way I would rather see Bella with a wolf then you."

As Rosalie exited, Edward turned to Alice with a small smile on his face caused by Rosalie's statement.

"She has a point." Alice smiled back at Edward. "So I think you should listen to Rosalie and get downstairs."

Edward nodded, knowing his sisters were right. He could not, and would not, give up Bella without a fight. She meant too much to him, and he hoped he meant too much too her. Alice and Rosalie seemed to think so, but he was still unsure.

* * *

Jacob pulled Bella's truck up to the Swan house. Charlie's car was not there, so Jacob assumed he was not home from work yet. Knowing Charlie was not there gave Jacob no reason to knock on the door. Instead he jumped out of Bella's truck and ran quickly to her bedroom window. He could see the tree limb that had fallen as he looked up to her window.

Immediately the smell of Edward filled the air. Jacob growled, knowing Edward had been there. As he was about to climb the tree and into Bella's room to see if she was there, the familiar sound of Charlie's police cruiser filled the air.

Jacob turned swiftly to see Charlie coming up the road. Charlie parked and casually got out of the car, waving to Jacob.

"Bella not letting you in?" Charlie asked.

"I…maybe she is asleep." Jacob tried to act calm. He had a feeling Bella was not even home but he did not want Charlie to notice he was worried.

"Well, come on in." Charlie motioned to Jacob as he climbed the stairs to the house, and unlocked the door.

Jacob followed Charlie into the house. Immediately, both men noticed the house was dark.

"Bells?" Charlie called out up the stairs.

After a second, there was no response.

"Maybe she is asleep." Charlie shrugged, moving into the kitchen.

"Should I go check?" Jacob asked.

"Uh…no." Charlie came out, holding up a note that he found on the table, a puzzled look on his face. "She…she isn't home."

"Is that from her?" Jacob indicated the note Charlie was holding.

"Uh…yeah." Charlie nodded, looking down at the note. "She uh…she said she is out with Alice Cullen." Charlie waved the note again. "I didn't know the Cullen's were back."

"Yeah." Jacob tried his best to hide the anger that immediately rose in his chest at the mention of a Cullen. "They just came back."

"I see." Charlie nodded, his eyebrows creasing at the thought of Edward being back. He wanted to punch that boy between the eyes for hurting his Bella so.

"Don't worry, Charlie." Jacob smiled, despite his anger. He knew why Charlie looked so perplexed. "I won't let Edward near her."

"Right." Charlie nodded. "Well, I doubt that matters…with the baby and all." Charlie moved into the kitchen, still holding the note.

"Well, I am going to get going." Jacob said, not waiting for Charlie's response as he quickly moved out the door and into the fresh air.

Once outside, Jacob took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down. He was unsure who he was madder at, Bella for leaving with a Cullen while Edward beat the crap out of him, or the Cullen's for clearly coming to get Bella. He was sure they must have figured out a way to get her to leave her house with them, and immediately the safety of Bella and his unborn child crossed his mind, and the young werewolf began to panic. He had no idea what the Cullen's would do to Bella once they found out she was carrying a half-werewolf child, but he had a feeling Bella could be in danger.

Immediately, Jacob took off running in the direction of the Cullen's home. He knew, if one hair was out of place on Bella's head, he would rip every Cullen apart; and that's how he would take care of Edward and the treaty.

* * *

Edward took a deep breath outside of his kitchen. He could smell both Bella and Esme and knew that the two of them were in the kitchen together. He knew he needed to get Bella alone, he was just unsure how to go about it. He had already hurt her so much that day. After a moment of contemplating what to say, Esme appeared in the doorframe.

"You can go in and talk to her." Esme smiled at Edward, knowing why he was there.

"Does she…know I was standing here?" Edward asked, awkwardly.

"No. I told her I left laundry in the washer." Esme told him. "Edward, please be gentle with her. She doesn't need any extra stress in her condition…"

"I know." Edward nodded, and then slowly moved into the kitchen to find Bella sitting at the table, her eyes on her hump of a stomach as her hands glide over the bump. She did not notice him as he entered, her thoughts clearly somewhere else.

"Hello." Edward said after a moment, repeating the same word he had first spoke to her over a year ago in biology.

Immediately, Bella's face shot up, and her eyes fell onto Edward. Her expression was unreadable, somewhere between annoyance and sadness. "I don't feel like hearing about what an irresponsible person I am anymore so if that's what you came to do, just leave me alone."

"That's not what I came to do. I just want to talk to you." Edward told her. "Would you come up to my room so we can speak privately?"

"I doubt you have much more to say." Bella tried to sound strong, but her words came out quiet.

"Please?" Edward asked.

Bella immediately fell into his trap, and cursed herself for doing so. Edward's requests had always been impossible for her to follow. She stood, rolling her eyes, but unable to tell him no. "Fine."

"Thank you." Edward said sincerely and then moved aside to let Bella lead him up the stairs and to his room. The extra weight from her pregnant stomach caused Bella to take longer than expected to get up the stairs, and more than once Edward could have sworn she lost her balance, though she caught herself without his help. Once in his room, he closed the door behind the pair.

"So?" Bella threw her arms out and then eased herself onto the couch in Edward's room. "What else could you say to me?"

"I'm sorry." Edward started as he moved to face her.

"What could you be sorry for?" Bella asked, although she was shocked he had said it at all.

"For everything I've done and said to hurt you." Edward knelt down in front of Bella. "I am so sorry I left you, Bella, and I am sorry I called you irresponsible and stupid. You are neither of those things. And….and I'm sorry for hurting Jacob." Edward looked away as he said the last part, seeming to choke on his words. "I know how much he…._means_ to you."

Bella just shook her head, fighting back both tears and the urge to jump into Edward's arms. She wanted to stay mad at him, to hate him, but she knew she couldn't. She loved Edward, she always would. The only thing keeping her from the vampire's cold embrace was the child growing inside of her; Jacob's child. "I can't do this." She whispered softly, her voice shaky.

"Bella, I love you." Edward said, his eyes sad. He slowly reached out and took her hand in his, and to his surprise, she did not pull away. "I never stopped, and I…I can't lose you. I _won't_." He finished his sentence through a clenched jaw.

"Edward…I…" Bella fumbled over her words, she wanted to tell him she loved him right back, but she couldn't. She knew she couldn't do that to Jacob, and more importantly, she could not do it to her baby; it deserved to have its father in its life and she knew if she chose Edward, Jacob was as good as gone. She quickly pulled her hand away from Edward. "I'm pregnant." She seemed to laugh at her own statement. "I'm having Jacob's baby."

"I don't care." Edward said quickly and then laughed. "I…I don't care if you are having a monkey…I just…I can't be without you. I don't want to be anymore. I was and I was miserable. I can handle a wolf-baby, I can't handle losing you."

Bella's heart broke. Edward said everything she had wanted him to say and more; he was telling her he would never leave again, and that he loved her. She knew she couldn't give into him that easily though, she had to think of her child and Jacob. Jacob had been so good to her, how could she hurt him now? "I'm sorry, Edward." Bella stood and moved out the door into the hallway.

"What?" Edward seemed to become desperate, his eyes darting all over Bella's pregnant form.

"I…I can't do this again." Bella felt the tears fill her eyes now, but she did not care.

"Please don't…don't go." Edward stood and followed Bella, but only to the doorway. "Don't cut me off like this."

"I'm sorry." Bella glanced up, trying to combat her tears. "I just don't want this."

"You…don't want me?" Edward felt as though he had been punched in the gut fifty times in a row.

"No. I don't." Bella lied, the words cutting her tongue as they spilled out. She was lying to his face, and worst of all it was breaking her heart to say the lie as much as it broke his to hear it.

Edward looked down in defeat. He knew he had been too late; he had no clue why Alice and Rosalie had pushed him to talk to Bella. He had been right all along, she had moved on. "I see."

Bella immediately wanted to run to Edward and gather him in her arms and tell him she was lying, she loved him still, she always would, but for some reason she felt herself frozen in place. "I'm sorry." She whispered again.

"Jacob's on his way here." Edward looked up at Bella again. "I can smell him." He looked away from her.

As if on cue, Emmett's huge body came flying through the front window, shattering it into a million pieces and causing Bella to jump at her position on the upper landing as Rosalie, Esme, and Alice quickly filled the living room. Quickly Jacob stepped through the shattered door as Carlisle and Jasper followed.

"Calm down." Carlisle moved past Jacob to Emmett's angry form that was on the floor.

"Where is Bella?" Jacob seemed to growl.

"Who invited the dog in?" Rosalie eyed Jacob up, reading to pounce on him if need be. No one pushed her Emmett around.

"Rosalie." Carlisle warned. He knew Jacob had every right to be mad after what Edward had done to him. He then passed a warning glance to the rest of his family, and they understood, they would not interfere with Jacob at the moment.

"Where is she?" Jacob's fists were clenched.

"She is fine." Edward spoke up.

Jacob's eyes immediately darted up the stairs to see Edward and Bella standing on the landing. "You!" Jacob moved up the stairs. "I should rip your head off!"

"Jacob! Stop!" Bella moved to Jacob, placing both of her hands on his chest and looking up into his eyes. "I'm fine. See?" She motioned to herself and her stomach. "We're both fine."

Jacob looked Bella's pregnant form over to see she was indeed fine. His eyes then darted back up to Edward, and they were full of hate.

"Jacob, please!" Bella tried to calm him down; she did not want him to hurt Edward. "I just…I want to go home."

"I should kill you." Jacob spoke to Edward, ignoring Bella.

"She wants to go home, Jacob." Edward motioned casually to Bella. "I think you should honor her wishes."

"You don't get to tell me what to do, you blood sucker!" Jacob growled at Edward as he stepped past Bella.

"Jake!" Bella, out of desperation to keep Edward safe from the angry werewolf, pulled Jacob's face toward hers, and kissed him.

Immediately, the kiss calmed Jacob down, and for the first time since he had walked into the Cullen's home, he unclenched his fist.

Bella, however, opened her eyes as she kissed Jacob to see that her kiss was crushing Edward with each passing second. Quickly, she pulled away from Jacob's lips, not wanting to hurt Edward anymore, and redirected her eyes to Jacob's. "Can we please just go home?"

After a second Jacob nodded. He knew he couldn't get even with Edward in front of Bella, but at least she wanted to leave, and she wanted to leave with him. Jacob could be grateful for that and the fact that she was safe. "Okay." He nodded and took her hand, leading her down the stairs.

As Bella descended the stairs, she glanced over her shoulder to see that Edward had not moved from the position he had established as he watched her kiss Jacob. His eyes were still cast at the floor and his fists hang loosely at his side as he bowed his head, clearly defeated. She only wished she could take back the pain she caused the vampire.

When they got to the bottom of the stairs, Jacob looked back up at Edward. "We are not done dealing with the treaty."

"Jake." Bella was shocked he would say such a thing. She did not think he would be so hell-bent on revenge, but she knew she could not let Jacob go after Edward.

"I'll be waiting." Edward ignored Bella, although with his vampire hearing he could easily hear her, but his form never moved, his head never flinched up, his eyes never looked away from the floor. He was broken.


	11. She is a Liability

Disclaimer: All characters and things associated with The Twilight Saga belong to Stephanie Meyers. This writing is for pure entertainment only.

Summary: Set during New Moon. After Edward leaves, Bella is miserable and Jacob is there for her until things go too far between them, leaving Bella in an unexpected condition. When Edward returns how will Bella explain her situation to him? B/E B/J pairings

**Chapter 11**

One month had passed since the entire debacle with the Cullen's had taken place, and Bella had not heard from any of them since. She was beginning to wonder if they Cullen's had completely taken themselves out of her life. In a way, that made her sad. In the midst of all the madness, she realized just how much she had missed them all.

"But maybe it's better that mommy doesn't see Edward." Bella spoke to her large hump of a stomach as she drove her red truck back from the doctor's office. She was now four months pregnant, though she looked much larger. She was not concerned with the weight, knowing it was from the werewolf part of the baby, but the doctor was concerned and had told her bed rest would be a likely necessity in another month or so.

"Because seeing Edward just get's mommy confused." Bella continued to talk to her growing baby. The truth was, knowing Edward was so close was driving her crazy. She wanted to be happy and content with Jacob but she was finding it harder with each passing day. It wasn't that she loved Jacob any less, it was just the simple fact that she had always loved Edward more. "It's not that I don't love your daddy because he is a great man." Bella spoke of Jacob, knowing no matter what she felt for Edward, she could not act on it. She had to give her baby a fair chance at having a solid family. "It's just that Edward will always have a special place in my heart."

The baby nudged at Bella's stomach as if it understood, causing her to smile. She loved her unborn child more than anything, more than her own life, more than she ever loved Edward. That alone, was a crazy notion to her. Prior to her pregnancy she had never thought she could love anyone as much as she loved Edward.

Slowly, Bella pulled her red truck up to her house, parking it behind Charlie's cruiser. She then slowly eased herself out of the truck, carefully balancing her weight. Once she was stable on the ground, she slammed the door and rubbed her protruding belly. "You are really getting to be heavy, baby. Making me pretty fat." She smiled as she waddled up her front steps and into her house.

"Bells?" Charlie called out from the living room.

Bella waddled into the room to find Charlie in his recliner, watching a baseball game with a beer in his hand. "Hey Dad." She waddled passed him and eased herself slowly down onto the couch.

"How was the...doctor's appointment?" Charlie asked an eyebrow, trying to remember if Bella had said she was going to the doctor's or library earlier that day.

"It was good." Bella sighed, leaning back and rubbing her stomach. "He said everything looks good."

"Good." Charlie cleared his throat. He had gotten used to the idea of Bella being pregnant, but he was still not comfortable discussing it with her. "Well, don't worry about dinner tonight. You look…tired. I'll order pizza for you before I leave for work."

Bella closed her eyes, leaning into the couch. "That would be _great_. I am really tired."

"You should rest then." Charlie told her. "I can come wake you up when the pizza is here."

Bella stood slowly. "I think I am going to do that, actually. Jacob is supposed to be coming over later too, so if he is here before the pizza, send him up."

"Didn't you just see him?" Charlie asked.

Bella shook her head. "No."

"He didn't go with you to the doctor's office?" Charlie was slightly shocked and annoyed with Jacob. After all, he had gotten Bella into this mess, and Charlie felt the boy should be with her every step of the way.

"No." Bella tried to cover up her own hurt. She had really wanted Jacob to come with her, but he and the rest of the pack had become obsessed with keeping the Cullen's on their own land the past month, and therefore, had become "too busy to handle the little stuff" like going to the doctor with her.

"Well, I just wanted to tell you I was going to go fishing for the week tomorrow morning up in the mountains." Charlie said. "But if you need me to stay here…"

"No." Bella perked up, forcing a smile for her father. "That sounds great, dad. You should do it."

"You will be okay here?" Charlie asked.

"Fine." Bella nodded. "Jake is around, and I have a project to work on anyway."

"Okay." Charlie nodded, satisfied.

Bella nodded back before slowly shuffling up the stairs placing a hand on her backside for extra support.

* * *

Emmett and Jasper had just taken out a deer each and were now casually walking along the line that had been drawn by the treaty with the wolves. Since the encounter with Jacob a month ago, Jasper and especially Emmett had made it a game to tempt the wolves, moving ever so closely to the treaty line, and then watched from high above the wolves go nuts.

Tonight was no exception.

"They are coming!" Jasper called out as he heard the wolves panting about a half a mile away.

"Alright, up!" Emmett grinned as he shot up a tree.

Jasper joined his brother a few moments later, and from their positioning they could see and hear everything the wolf pack did below, safely out of the wolves view.

"Let's see what the gossip is for tonight." Emmett smiled as both he and Jasper used their sensitive hearing to listen to the wolves.

* * *

After arriving at the treaty-line, the four big werewolves transformed back into their human forms; Sam, Paul, Jared, and Jacob were all annoyed. This was the third time that week the Cullen's had come dangerously close to the treaty line.

"It's like they are teasing us." Jared complained.

"We should just go take care of those bloodsuckers once and for all." Paul fumed.

"Jacob is the only one who has any reason to act right now." Sam eyed Jacob up.

"I can't go after Edward right now." Jacob told them. "I mean, I want to. Believe me, I want to rip him apart into a million pieces, but I can't. It would upset Bella right now and I can't do that to her."

"Why?" Jared asked. "Does she still have feelings for the leech?"

"No." Jacob answered much too quickly to actually be sure of his own answer. "But…it would still upset her. I know her. Once the baby is born, and they are both safe, it will be different and then I will give Cullen exactly what he has coming to him."

"I don't get why you care so much about the kid." Paul shook his head.

"Uh…because it's my kid." Jacob growled. "I'm its father…"

"You haven't even imprinted on Bella." Jared cut him off.

"So?" Jacob shrugged. It wasn't like he hadn't thought about that before.

"So that means Bella is not going to be around forever. She isn't your imprint, so she isn't yours." Paul smirked.

Jacob shrugged. "I don't believe in that crap."

"In what? Imprinting?" Paul laughed.

"Yeah." Jacob stepped to Paul. "I have a connection with Bella that is really deep. I don't need to imprint on her to know she is mine."

"You're wrong." Paul shot back. "Look at Sam I mean…"

"Sam and I are not the same person." Jacob eyed up Sam and then shook his head. "Either way, I have to get going. I promised Bella I would come see her."

"Fine. Go run off to her. See how much more trouble she can get us in." Paul said sarcastically.

"Bella has not caused any of the problems we have right now." Jacob was pointing a finger in Paul's face. "And I would watch what I said if I were you."

"Oh yeah?" Paul stepped forward, but Jacob did not back down.

"Jacob." Sam stepped between the two young wolves. "Get going. Bella will be wondering where you are."

After a moment Jacob nodded, turning back into his wolf form and taking off toward the reservation to grab some clothes before heading to Bella's.

Once Jacob was safely out of hearing distance, Sam turned to Paul. "You can't talk about Bella like that to him."

"Why?" Paul threw his arms out. "I thought we were going to try to get him to see the liability she is."

"You heard him yourself. He doesn't even believe in imprinting. He really thinks Bella is his. He is not going to let us get rid of Bella, let alone Bella and his kid." Jared shrugged. "He is going to do everything to protect them."

Sam nodded, sadly. "Unfortunately, that is probably true."

"So then how do we handle this? We can't kill Jacob, and we aren't going let him talk us into getting rid of the baby, and even if we could do that, Bella wouldn't bug on it." Jared rambled.

"Then we just remove Bella." Paul shrugged. "I like her enough, but the kid has got to go and if she doesn't want to give it up, then she has to go too."

Sam nodded. "It's all too much of a liability. I would prefer to not have to hurt Bella…but we will do what we need to in order to protect the tribe. We just need to wait for an opportune moment. I am sure, once everything settles, Jacob will understand."

Paul and Jared nodded and then, as if on cue, all three turned back into their wolf forms and took off in the same direction Jacob had.

* * *

Once the wolves were gone, Jasper let out a deep breath, and starred at Emmett in the tree opposite of him, to see that Emmett was just as shocked by the conversation they had just witnessed between the wolves below as he was.

"What…the…hell?" Emmett finally managed out. "Why…why would they hurt Bella?"

"Because…the child is bringing too much commotion…with Edward and all." Jasper explained, remembering Carlisle had mentioned something about it earlier. "They see Bella and her baby as a vampire magnet."

"Plus that imprinting crap." Emmett shook his head, and then suddenly his eyes lit up. "If Jacob didn't imprint on her, then she isn't meant to be with him. That means Edward still has a chance to get some more Bella." He snickered.

"Get your mind out of the gutter." Jasper rolled his eyes, unable to grasp how immature Emmett could be sometimes.

"What?" Emmett asked innocently.

"Never mind." Jasper shook his head. "We need to get back home, tell Carlisle what we heard. He will know what to do."

"I think we should just tell Edward and let him go crazy on the wolves. I could use a good fight." Emmett joked, and then realized Jasper wasn't laughing. "I mean plus…he probably won't leave if he knows Bella is in trouble."

"You think Edward would leave?" Jasper asked, the thought had never crossed his mind prior to that moment.

Emmett shrugged. "He loves Bella, man. And Edward in love is usually a crazy Edward. I don't know if he would leave, honestly. But he likes to suffer alone if you haven't noticed."

"I have." Jasper nodded. "We should get home."

"Yeah." Emmett nodded and then jumped down from the tree.

Jasper followed suit, and the two vampires began sprinting off in the direction of their home, a few miles away.

* * *

Jacob made it to Bella's house in record time. He straightened his white v-neck out before heading up to the door and knocking.

"It's open, Jacob!" Charlie called.

Jacob opened the door and entered the Swan house to find Charlie putting on his police jacket. "Off to work, sir?"

"Yeah." Charlie nodded, straightening his collar out. "I just didn't want to leave until you got here. I don't like leaving Bells alone."

"I understand." Jacob nodded, and he did understand. He knew he had been really busy with the pack since the encounter with Edward, but he did not like the idea of Bella being alone.

"Which brings me to another point." Charlie said. "More of a favor."

"What's up?" Jacob asked.

"I am going camping with the guys for a week. Bella said she would be fine here, but I worry about leaving her in…her _condition_. I was wondering if you could stay with her?"

"Of course, Charlie." Jacob offered instantly.

"Thanks." Charlie said awkwardly.

"Anytime." Jacob responded.

"Well, take care of her." Charlie nodded up the stairs in the direction of Bella's room. "And there is pizza on the table, if you are hungry."

"Thanks." Jacob nodded as he watched Charlie leave the house. Jacob then made his way up the stairs and into Bella's room.

He found Bella asleep, curled up in the closets resemblance to a ball as she could get with her hump of a stomach. Jacob examined her form for a moment, he did not remember her looking so pregnant the last time he had seen her. He wondered to himself, how long it had been since he had actually looked at Bella. Sure, he had seen her almost every single day, especially since after Edward's visit to the reservation, but he had never really taken the time to look at her. He had been to wrap up in the idea of keeping her away from the Cullen's. Now, as he stood in the silence of her room, and watched her sleep, Jacob realized that Bella no longer looked like the fragile yet older, teenage girl he had adored. Now, she looked very much like a mom expecting her first child.

Jacob took a seat at her desk, deciding not to wake Bella, as he wondered if he himself looked like a father. He realized that, after glancing in the mirror, he did not. He looked the same, he had not changed much physically in the past few months but Bella had. Aside from the obvious inflation of her stomach, Bella's face had seemed to change, the stress of everything adding slight bags under her eyes which were so noticeable through her pale skin.

The fragility of her delicate condition only made Jacob think of his conversation with the pack earlier, about Bella being a danger and a liability. It made him angry. How, he wondered, could anyone think Bella was a danger? She was the polar opposite of a danger, if anything she was the one in danger.

Suddenly, Bella jerked up from her sleep as she gasped out in pain.

"Bella?" Jacob was at her side immediately, scanning her over. "Are you okay?"

Bella was surprised by Jacob's presence, making her jerk back even more. "Jacob? When did you get here?" Her voice was surprisingly calm. She was glad to see that Jacob had kept his promise and was with her now. She liked him being around, because it made her think of Edward less.

"Just now." Jacob's eyes continued to scan her body as they filled with worry. "Are you okay?"

"Fine." Bella smiled softly. "The baby just kicked." She sat up in bed, moving up against the headboard and rubbing her protruding bump before yawning.

"Oh." Jacob was at ease again as he sat on the edge of Bella's feet. "Does it…do that often?" Jacob asked, glancing at his hands.

"Just recently." Bella told him, glancing down at her stomach and switching her voice to a baby-one as a smile crept across her face. "But you promised mommy you would stop, right?"

Bella's stomach responded to her words as the baby gave another, yet weaker kick.

Satisfied with her answer, Bella looked back up to Jacob to see he looked distant. "Are _you_ okay?"

Jacob snapped his head up, his thoughts about the packs words drifting from his mind. "Uh yeah." He forced a smile. 'How did the doctor's go?"

"Fine." Bella said quickly, unsatisfied with Jacob's answer to her question. "Something is bugging you, so you better tell me what it is…"

"It's nothing…really." Jacob did not want to bore Bella with his worries, he knew she had enough of her own.

"Jake…" Bella warned. She wouldn't play this game with him all night.

"Just…the pack." Jacob shrugged, patting Bella's leg. "They just were saying some stuff tonight…it got to me."

"What stuff?" Bella asked, immediately bored with the story. The past few times Bella had seen Jacob, all he had done was talk about the pack, and she was getting sick of it.

"I mean…it's not important, they don't know what they are talking about. They are just mad I haven't…_handled_ the Cullen situation yet."

Panic immediately filled Bella's body at the notion of Edward being hurt, even if it was by Jacob. "Jake…please don't…"

"Relax, Bella." Jacob snorted, instantly annoyed. He knew she did not want him to go after Edward, but he hated to see her reaction to the idea of the vampire being hurt at all. "I am not going to hurt your _precious_ Edward."

"He's not mine." Bella looked down, playing with a ring on her finger. "I just…don't see how hurting him will solve anything."

Jacob went to say something smart back to her, but decided against it, knowing that getting her upset was not good for their baby. "Anyway, they mentioned that you weren't my imprint."

"You're what?" Bella looked up to meet Jacob's eyes.

"My imprint." Jacob repeated. "It's how werewolves find their soul mate. Apparently, when they see the person they are meant to be with they imprint on them, like claiming them as there's. It's an instant connection, supposedly."

"And you don't have that with me?" Bella asked slowly. She had not even known this imprint thing existed, and now it threw her for a loop. Apparently, even Jacob didn't want her as much as she thought he did.

"I have something with you." Jacob patted her leg and slid up next to her, trying to calm her clearly worried form. "And it's not just that." He pointed to her stomach.

"So, how does it work? You like…find you're imprint and then that's it, you're in love with them?" Bella asked.

Jacob shrugged. "Well, that's how it's explained. But…"

"But what?" Bella asked. If Jacob left her, she did not know what she would do.

"I don't believe in it." Jacob said simply, taking her hand in his. "I think…I know that you're the only person I want Bella. I have never cared about someone like I care about you."

"Yeah but…you're seventeen." Bella looked at their hands entwined. "You don't know what you want."

Jacob was immediately hurt by Bella's words, and showed it by letting go of her hand. "I do, and that is you and my baby and a nice little family. There is no one else for me, trust me. I have a connection with you that is unlike anything else in the world. I can feel it, so that's why I know imprinting is crap, because if it existed I would have imprinted on you."

"But Jake…" Bella started, absorbing her newfound information. If imprinting did exist, that meant that she would ultimately be left alone with her child after all. She realized that, maybe that was how it was supposed to be for her. She was a human, so maybe Edward had a point when he said she didn't belong in this world of monsters and heroes.

"Bella, trust me." Jacob kissed her neck and smiled. "You're perfect for me." He then moved his head down to her baby bump and kissed it as well. "And you kid, have one hot mommy." He smiled back up at Bella.

Bella had to laugh at this comment, and the laugh eased her worry for a minute or two as she realized just how much she had missed Jacob. She hated him spending so much time with the pack, obsessing over the Cullen's every move. She just wanted him to spend time with her and their unborn child.

"There is that smile I was looking for!" Jacob grinned and then moved up, kissing Bella.

Bella kissed him back, but to her surprise, for the first time she felt very little in the kiss. Her thoughts just kept drifting back to Edward's kisses and cold lips. She hadn't felt those lips in a long time, but now, they were all she could think about.

After a second, Jacob pulled away. "Well, I have to get going. I have patrol duty in an hour, but I will be back in the morning."

"Why?" Bella asked, trying to remember if she had made plans with Jacob.

"Your dad asked me to keep an eye on you while he is camping." Jacob explained.

"Oh." Bella nodded annoyed that Jacob was leaving her for the pack again. He had only just gotten there. "Are you sure Sam will give you time off?"

"Bella…" Jacob heard the annoyance in her voice. "I don't work for Sam, and either way, the pack is just trying to keep everyone safe here, and I am trying to keep you safe."

"The Cullen's won't hurt me." Bella told him.

"No, they will just come on our land and throw me through windows." Jacob was annoyed with Bella's defensive stance when it came to the Cullen family.

"I don't want to get into this." Bella looked away from Jacob. She was sick of arguing with him over Edward's behavior.

"Fine." Jacob clenched his jaw. "See you tomorrow then."

Before Bella could say anything, Jacob was out her window and deep into the woods. Bella sighed, she did not mean to upset Jacob, but she hated how he talked down about the Cullen's. They had always been nothing but good to her. And she hate that Jacob still seemed to want to fight Edward. She did not want to see neither Jacob nor Edward get hurt, but she especially did not want anything to happen to Edward. She knew that was wrong, since she should be worried about Jacob, after all she was having his baby, but she couldn't help the strong protective feeling she had over Edward. Even if Edward had hurt her in ways she thought unimaginable, and even if she could never forgive him for that, she knew she could not live with herself if anything happened to him, and she also knew could not live with Jacob if he did anything to Edward.

* * *

Emmett and Jasper made it back to the Cullen's house in record time. Both vampires bound through the front door to find Rosalie on the couch reading a magazine and Alice playing checkers with Carlisle. All heads turned when the two male vampire's entered.

"Where is Edward?" Jasper asked quickly.

"Upstairs." Esme announced her presence as she brought in a laundry basket and placed it next to Rosalie. "Fold those clothes, they are yours."

Rosalie rolled her eyes, but put her magazine down and grabbed the clothes.

"Why?" Carlisle asked, realizing both Emmett and Jasper's faces looked distraught.

"It's about Bella." Emmett answered.

A split second later, Edward was down the stairs, standing in front of Emmett. "What about Bella?"

"We were in the woods…we heard the wolves talking." Emmett started.

"Why were you by their line?" Carlisle was annoyed. He did not want any more problems with the wolves.

"Does it matter?" Edward shot back at Carlisle and then turned back to Emmett. "What did they say?"

"What we suspected." Jasper looked to Carlisle. "They see Bella and her child as a liability…a problem that they need to deal with."

"They were trying to tell Jacob she wasn't worth all this trouble because she wasn't his imprint and that the baby is just going to cause problems but he didn't want to hear it, so when he left the rest of them started talking…they want Bella out of the picture." Emmett finished.

"I feared this would happen." Carlisle nodded.

"Jacob didn't imprint on her?" Edward sounded relived despite everything else.

"Edward, just because she isn't meant to be with the wolf, doesn't meant she is meant to be with you." Rosalie knew exactly what Edward was thinking.

"But she isn't Jacob's either then." Edward retorted.

"She won't be anyone's if she isn't kept safe." Carlisle brought them back to the situation in front of them. "If the wolves really see all of this as a threat to their way of life, they will stop at nothing to get rid of Bella and her child."

Immediately anger filled Edward at the thought of anyone hurting Bella. He clenched his fists to the point he thought his fingers might break through the back of his hands. "Then we don't let them get anywhere near her. I won't let anyone hurt her." Edward told his family. "I know…what I did…she hasn't forgiven me, but I will not lose her. I need to keep her safe…I understand if this constitutes too much of a threat for you all and I understand if you do not want to help…"

"Edward." Alice was shocked at her brother. "Of course we want to help. Bella is like a sister to me."

"Thank you, Alice." Edward smiled at her. "You are very kind."

"As are the rest of us." Carlisle spoke for the rest of the family. "We are a family, and Bella, since she has stepped through those doors has been part of this family. Whether you are with her or not, we will take care of her and protect her at all costs."

Edward looked around to see that the rest of the family was agreeing with Carlisle, including Rosalie, which surprised him. Maybe she was not such a bitch. "Thank you all."

"So what's the plan then?" Emmett smacked his hands together. He loved a good fight.

"We need to get Bella to safety first." Carlisle said.

"Yeah right." Rosalie shook her head. "She couldn't wait to get out of here last time."

"And she has not tried to contact any of us since then." Alice seemed almost hurt by this. She had missed Bella.

"She doesn't have to want to be here." Edward looked to Rosalie, and then to Alice. "Or want to talk to us. She just needs to be kept safe." He began moving to the door.

"Where are you going?" Esme asked.

"To Bella's." Edward said. "I am going to try to go talk to her, explain everything and get her to come here. In the meantime, if you guys could patrol the reservation, make sure the wolves stay on their land."

"Of course." Carlisle nodded.

"Edward." Alice looked to her brother with worried eyes. "What if Bella doesn't want to come with you?"

"I am not above using force in this situation." Edward told his sister, and he meant it. If need be, he would carry Bella out of her house kicking and screaming. She could hate him, she already seemed to, and so he didn't care. All that mattered was that Bella got to safety. And with those thoughts, Edward was out the door.

* * *

Edward approached the Swan's home quietly, unsure if Charlie would be working tonight. He was relieved to see that Charlie's cruiser was gone. He glanced up at the house to see Bella's bedroom light on. He listened and easily detected both her heartbeat as well as her unborn child's heart. He listened again, hearing nothing else; he knew Jacob was not around.

Edward quickly ran up to the front door and to his surprise it was open. He clenched his jaw at how stupid Charlie had been, leaving Bella in the house unprotected with the door open. He entered, closing the squeaky door behind him and wincing at the sound it made. It was loud, too loud to not disturb the dark, quiet house.

"Dad?" Bella called from her room, confused why Charlie was back already.

Edward didn't answer; instead he slipped into the kitchen. He was unsure how to handle Bella and explain it all to her, so he wanted a second to gather his thoughts.

"Jacob?" Bella's voice sounded more confused now.

And then Edward heard her groan and get out of bed. He could hear each of her steps as she crept from her room to the dark downstairs of her house.

Bella waddled down the stairs cautiously, suddenly becoming very nervous. Her heartbeat picked up as each step creaked under her pregnant weight. She was sure someone was in the house with her, but it was dark, and she knew she was defenseless. Her child seemed to be uneasy too, as it did summersaults in her stomach. She rubbed small circles on it as she reached the bottom of the stairs.

"Hello?" Bella called out, her voice much weaker then she had intended. She eased herself around the stairs and slowly toward the kitchen. She fumbled to turn the light on, and when she managed to, she jumped clear back, slamming into the wall, a hand over her mouth as she screamed.

"Easy!" Edward moved from his statue position against the sink, and grabbed her, easing her down into a seat at the kitchen table. He had not intended to scare her; he just wanted some extra time to think.

"What…how…wha…what ar…what…what are you doing here?" Bella stammered out, both relieved to see that it was Edward in her home, but equally as mad that he had scared both her and her child to death. She could feel the baby in her stomach kicking like no other. She rubbed both hands on her stomach, trying to calm it down as her own heart rate came back down.

"I'm sorry I frightened you." Edward apologized, kneeling down in front of her.

"What are you doing here?" Bella repeated her question, this time, sounding much more assertive.

"I came to warn you." Edward started as his eyes glanced around the kitchen so he could avoid direct eye contact with the girl in front of him. "Emmett and Jasper heard something today…"

"I'm not going to play games with you." Bella told him simply. She was so confused on how to handle his presence. She missed him, yet wanted him gone; she loved him, yet was too hurt to trust him.

"This isn't a game, Bella." Edward looked into her eyes now. "This is your _life_."

"What about my_ life_?" Bella couldn't help the sudden feeling of panic rising within her.

"Emmett and Jasper were in the woods today. They heard the pack talking, something about you not being Jacob's imprint and you being a danger to them….they are calling you a liability." Edward shook his head as he stared down at Bella's stomach, trying to remember if Emmett or Jasper had said anything else.

Bella was in shock. Jacob had said something similar to her earlier, about her not being his imprinting, so Bella knew that Edward's words had truth to them, but she also knew that Jacob told her the imprinting was no big deal, so how could they call her a liability? "You're lying."

"Bella…no I'm not." Edward looked at her, his eyes hurt. "I would never lie to you…"

"You already did, supposedly, when you told me you didn't want me anymore. Remember?" Bella reminded him.

Edward remembered, and looked down, remaining silent.

"Or was that a lie too?" Bella's word were sharp as, to her own surprise, tears began to rise in her eyes. She had no idea why she was always so emotional when it came to Edward.

"No." Edward looked back at her. "I lied when I said I didn't want you, and trust me I am paying for it now. I would never lie to you again. So when I say I need to get you out of here and to safety I mean it."

"Jacob wouldn't hurt me." Bella told Edward. "He loves me and this baby." She rubbed her stomach for emphasis.

"I am not talking about Jacob hurting you, I am talking about the pack hurting you." Edward told her. "If you are threatening them, they don't care who you are or what you're carrying." He motioned to her stomach. "And I can't risk them hurting you." He took her hand. "I won't lose you again, Bella."

"You never came back to find me." Bella pulled her hand away. She knew she should heed Edward's warning. That he as probably being truthful with her, but she couldn't bring herself to ask him for help. He had hurt her too much. "Now I want you out of here."

"Sorry." Edward stood, quickly grabbing Bella by her wrist and pulling her into his arms, and holding her gently so he stomach would be safe, before she could blink. "But I won't leave you here."

"Put me down, Edward!" Bella tried to sound convincing but she was failing miserably, knowing she had missed being in his embrace as much as he had missed holding her.

"Bella." Edward looked at the beautiful creature in his arms and knew he had never stopped loving her. Pregnant or not, she was beautiful. "You can be mad at me after all of this, hate me for all I care! But right now, I need to get you out of here."

Bella studied Edward's face and realized he was being dead serious. She instantly knew she was in danger, and shivered at the thought of her and her baby being in danger. "Let me walk then. Please?"

Edward raised an eyebrow, wondering if he put her down if she would still come with him.

"I won't try to run." Bella knew Edward so well. "I trust you."

Edward smiled slightly and nodded, placing her on her feet. "Okay."

"Thanks." Bella smiled back slightly as her feet touched the ground.

Suddenly, the room seemed to blur as Bella watched Edward get thrown across the kitchen, and slam into the refrigerator. She turned to see Jacob standing beside her, anger across his face.

"Get out of here!" Jacob growled at Edward.

"Jake…" Bella was shocked and angry Jacob would hurt Edward like that.

"You're safe now, Bella." Jacob did not look at her face, his eyes glued to Edward. He confused the shock in Bella's voice for relief that he had come and saved her from Edward.

"No she isn't." Edward stood. "Not if she is with you."

"I have done nothing but protect her! Ever since you left her in that forest!" Jacob lunged at Edward, grabbing him by the throat and squeezing hard enough to produce a few cracks on Edward's face.

"Jake! Stop!" Bella went to pull Jacob off of Edward, but in his rage Jacob pushed her back, and hard. She immediately fell over the chair and against the wall.

"Bella!" Edward jerked Jacob's stunned body out of his way and was at Bella's side in a flash. "Are you okay?"

"I…the baby…is it…" Bella stammered, looking around to see if she was indeed okay.

Edward listened, and heard the unborn baby's heart beat. "Its fine." Edward whispered.

Jacob, realizing Bella was okay, grabbed Edward by the shoulder and spun the vampire around to face him. "Get away from her! You did this!"

"You pushed her." Edward did not budge from his spot between Bella and Jacob.

"Only because you just keep coming around, bloodsucker." Jacob growled.

"Just stop it!" Bella cried out. She was shocked that Jacob had touched her at all, and even more surprised that Edward was defending her.

"She is right." Edward stood, still between Jacob and Bella. "We need to work together here. You cant protect her alone."

"I've done just fine." Jacob clenched his fist, ready to punch Edward in the face. In truth, he was so angry with Edward, he wasn't even registering the fact that he had almost seriously injured Bella.

"You're just an animal." Edward clenched his jaw. "You pushes girls…" he pointed back to Bella as he stepped at Jacob. "And who can't control his pack of wild, deranged killers who are more concerned with an imprint then Bella or her child's life."

"My child!" Jacob growled, pushing Edward so hard that the vampire flew out the window.

"Edward." Bella gasped, a hand over her mouth.

Jacob was furious that Bella was so worried about the vampire, and he quickly jerked her up to her feet. "Let's go. You're not safe here."

"But he…" Bella started.

"He left you!" Jacob growled. "Edward didn't want you, and he only wants you now because he can't have you. Now get into the car, I am taking you to the reservation."

The color drained from Bella's face for two reasons. One, Edward was clearly, seriously injured, since he was still in a heap outside of her house as Jacob led her to the car, and two, because, if Edward was telling her the truth, then the reservation was the most dangerous place for her and her baby; the pack was there.


	12. Rosalie's Plan Worked

Disclaimer: All characters and things associated with The Twilight Saga belong to Stephanie Meyers. This writing is for pure entertainment only.

Summary: Set during New Moon. After Edward leaves, Bella is miserable and Jacob is there for her until things go too far between them, leaving Bella in an unexpected condition. When Edward returns how will Bella explain her situation to him? B/E B/J pairings

**Chapter 12**

Jacob got Bella into the passenger side of her truck and then moved around it, quickly hopping into the driver's seat and taking off as fast as he could, hoping that Edward would stay on the ground a few seconds longer so he could get enough distance between the car and the vampire.

He glanced back in the mirror and noticed Edward slowly starting to move. Jacob smiled to himself, clearly he had hurt the vampire, and that had been his goal.

"I am sure you taught him a lesson." Bella glared at Jacob, knowing he was smiling because he had hurt Edward.

"Bella…" Jacob looked at her for the first time, noticing she had one hand tightly holding onto her stomach and the other gently holding her elbow. That was when Jacob noticed the bruise. It was just starting to form, and he realized she must have knocked her elbow when he pushed her. Immediately, his face was full of regret. "I…I'm sorry I pushed you." He tried to finger the bruise.

Bella jerked herself away from his touch. "I'm fine."

"I shouldn't have done that." Jacob continued. "I…I wasn't thinking clearly."

"I could tell." Bella looked out the window, ignoring Jacob.

"I was just so angry, but that's no excuse." Jacob went on.

"No." Bella turned to face him. "It's not."

"I know." Jacob agreed.

"And it's not even about me." Bella told him. "You could have hurt the baby." She held her stomach for emphasis.

"You don't think I know that?" Jacob asked hastily. "It's just…he got me so angry, and I was worried when I saw him grabbing you."

"He wasn't grabbing me!" Bella said.

"Why do you defend him all the time?" Jacob was angry again. "What has he ever done to you except hurt you?"

"I…he…" Bella stammered.

"What was he even doing there?" Jacob growled. "Did you ask him to come over? Is that what you do when I leave? Crawl back into his cold arms?"

"No…I…I wouldn't…" Bella stammered, a little scared of Jacob's temper for the first time.

"Then what the hell was he doing there?!" Jacob slammed his fist hard on the dashboard when Bella did not answer. "Answer me?"

"Warning me! Okay? He was warning me!" Bella finally got out, wondering if Jacob's temper would get the better of him. He had never been like this before.

"Warning you about what?" Jacob clenched his jaw and pushed down harder on the accelerator.

Bella was scrambling to think. She knew Jacob could not drive this fast as safely as Edward would, and was worried they would hit something and it would all be over. The baby inside of her, sensing her anxiety began kicking like crazy. Bella knew she had to tell Jacob the truth, she was a terrible liar, and he would know she was lying if she tried. "He said something about the pack…hearing them say I was a liability…or the baby being a danger or something…something about imprinting…I…I don't know! I can't remember."

Jacob growled. "And you believe him?"

"No…no…" Bella lied, surprising herself at how true her voice sounded. She guessed, lying to Edward all those weeks and telling him she didn't want him had turned her into a decent liar. "I don't believe him. Can you please slow down? You're scaring me."

Jacob laughed. "You're scared of my driving yet you are fine being in a house with a soulless, blood sucking, vampire."

Bella swallowed hard, anger rising in her for the first time since she had gotten into the car. "You don't know a thing…about his soul."

Jacob's nostrils flared at Bella's words. "And you do?"

"He wasn't there to hurt me tonight." Bella reasoned.

"No! He just lied to you! Came to take you from me!" Jacob shouted and the car jerked to a stop.

Bella looked out the window, realizing they were on the reservation, sitting in front of Jacob's house.

"Now you listen to me." Jacob lowered his voice. "You forget about Cullen and you forget what he said about my pack. He is a lying bastard, and I will _not _lose you to him. The pack will never hurt you, or my baby. And remember, that is _my _baby in there." He pointed to her stomach. "Not Edward's." Jacob then opened his door and hopped out of the truck.

Bella sat there, stunned at Jacob's behavior and his harsh words to her. She realized now, just how much having Edward around had killed Jacob's beautiful spirit and turned him into an obsessive, angry teenager. Edward was driving him mad, and Bella knew it would only get worse if she didn't figure out a way to stop it. Things were getting out of control; on one hand, she knew she needed to listen to Edward's warning. This was not the first time she had heard it, remembering what Carlisle had spoken of a month earlier, and knowing there was a good chance the pack was after her. Yet, on the other hand, the pack had been nothing but nice to her, and had helped her and Jacob through so much she could not see them harming her or her child. She didn't know who to believe any longer.

Before Bella knew it, Jacob had opened her door, and gently offered her a hand, though his face was still angry. "Get out."

"Jake…I…I'm sorry…for whatever I said to make you angry." Bella told him.

Jacob sighed, his face softening. "You…you didn't do anything." Jacob looked down at her stomach and regretting being so angry with her. He knew it was wrong of him. "I am just an idiot. I shouldn't have gotten angry at you at all." He gently helped her out of the truck, holding both of her hands and placing them on her stomach so he could touch the baby as well. "I…I overreacted. I would never hurt you, Bella. I love you and this baby very much."

"I know you do." Bella answered, knowing his words were true. He loved her and their child unconditionally.

"Can we just forget this?" Jacob asked.

Bella glanced away. How could she forget it when all she was really concerned with now was if Edward was okay?

Jacob sighed. He knew exactly where her thoughts were. "I will check on Edward later to make sure he is okay."

Bella looked back up at Jacob, a small smile forming on her lips. He really was, despite everything, a carrying man. No matter what happened, Bella knew he would make a great father.

* * *

Edward rose to his feet two seconds two late. He glanced in the direction of Bella's car, but realized that Jacob and Bella were both long gone. He felt his head, feeling a crack from Jacob's push. It quickly started to heal as he shook the shattered pieces of glass off of his jacket. He debated chasing Jacob and Bella right now, but he knew he would need help to get Bella away from Jacob, so instead he took off in the direction of his home.

Edward arrived at his house within minutes, and quickly rushed inside to find his entire family standing there, waiting.

"I saw a vision of you running here." Alice explained why they were all there. "You seemed panicked."

"Where's Bella?" Carlisle asked.

Edward shook his head. "I had her, she was coming with me…until Jacob…he came busting in and put me through the window and took off with her."

"Where did he take her?" Carlisle asked.

Edward raised an eyebrow, indicating that Carlisle had clearly asked a stupid question.

"So she is at the reservation." Emmett nodded.

"I don't know where else Jacob would have taken her." Edward told them. "We need to get to her and fast. Jacob was…rather ill tempered."

"Well, I would imagine so if he put you threw a window." Esme shook her head, not liking the idea of her son being hurt.

"He pushed Bella." Edward shut his eyes and shook his head as the image of Bella falling to the floor played over in his head. Quickly he opened his eyes, they were full of rage. "I need to find her. I need to get to her before Jacob or any of those wolves can touch her!"

"And we will." Carlisle touched Edward's shoulder, trying to ease his son. "We just need to figure out a way to get to Bella without putting her in anymore danger then she is already in."

"We could get the wolves to follow us. A distraction." Emmett suggested.

"Yes. They seem to be very sensitive of the boundary line these days." Jasper added.

Carlisle nodded. "We still would need to figure out a way to get to Bella."

"Easy." Rosalie stepped up, surprising all, but especially Edward, that she would contribute in any way to the plan, other than participating in it out of force. "Edward will take the Volvo, windows up, over the boundary line once we are sure the wolves are chasing the rest of us. We will wear Edward's clothes to hopefully confuse their senses. If we can get the wolves far enough away, Edward can get to Bella and get her out of there hopefully before the wolves catch us."

Edward raised an eyebrow at Carlisle as they thought the same thing; Rosalie's plan was crazy enough to actually work.

"That…is a good idea, Rosalie." Carlisle said slowly. "Edward won't have much time but hopefully it will be enough to get to Bella."

"I don't know if going there alone will be much help." Edward said. "If something were to happen to me…" His thoughts drifted to his earlier encounter with Jacob. "I wouldn't be able to help Bella."

"I'll go with you then." Alice offered, instantly. Bella was her best friend, and she would help Edward keep her safe.

"Thanks, Alice." Edward smiled at her.

"Sure." Alice nodded back.

"And thanks…Rosalie." Edward smiled a little more at his blonde sister. "For your input."

"I would never leave Bella to the dogs…" Rosalie told him seriously. "Even if she is not my favorite person, like Carlisle said…she is part of this family."

Edward nodded; Rosalie's response was enough for him. He knew, with his families help, he could at least get Bella to safety and that was his main concern at the moment. Winning Bella's heart again, would take time, but he needed to make sure she was alive so he could try to win her back.

* * *

Bella sat on Jacob's couch in his small living room as he moved around in the kitchen, making a sandwich for himself before walking back to Bella to hand her a glass of water. Bella was grateful for the water, her throat feeling extremely dry and even more grateful for the fact that Billy had left ahead of Charlie to go camping, that way she would not have to explain the tension that was clearly thickening the silence between her and Jacob.

"Are you sure you're not hungry?" Jacob asked.

"No." Bella shook her head, fingering the glass of cold water in her hand and contemplating if she could put it on her bruised elbow to ease the pain. Her eyes did not meet Jacob's, instead they stayed glued to her glass.

"Bella…." Jacob placed his sandwich on the side table and knelt down in front of her, forcing her to look at him. "I am really sorry about what happened tonight. I was stupid…and wrong. I shouldn't have gotten so angry with you."

"Its fine, Jake." Bella gave him a quick nod, trying to convince him. Although, she couldn't even convince herself of that; seeing Jacob's rage had scared her, and she wondered how safe her child would be around a father who could lose his temper so easily. Worse yet, Bella was really worried about Edward. It never took the vampire more than two seconds to get up after a fall, and yet Edward had taken more than two minutes to get up outside of her house.

"I just…I don't want you to be so frightened of me." Jacob placed a hand on her round stomach. "I would _never_ hurt either of you. You and this baby are my life. I am so sorry I pushed you, I don't know what came over me, but I would take it all back if I could."

Bella studied Jacob's face and realized he meant every word he said. His face was always so easy to read, he never kept anything from her, and that was one of the things she loved about him. She sighed deeply, running a hand through her hair as she felt her unborn child doing summersaults in her stomach, clearly liking its father's touch as Jacob's strong hands caressed Bella's bloated midsection. "Just let's forget about it. Okay?"

Jacob nodded, sadly. He had wanted her to say she accepted his apology, but he realized he would probably never hear those words, not when he had hurt her precious Edward. Edward would forever be a thorn in Jacob's side. "Fine."

"Jacob, please?" Bella knew he was angry despite the fact that he was trying to hide it. "I've just had a lot to think about tonight."

"Bella…I am sorry I hurt Edward. I will check on him to make you feel better, but what he said to you…those things about the pack…they aren't true." Jacob told her. "They care very much about you and our baby. You know that as well as I do. They are excited about this kid, and they have accepted you in every single way possible."

Bella thought for a moment, knowing Jacob's words were true. Despite the fact that she truly felt Edward had spoken the truth, and his warning was important, she really could not see the pack hurting her. They had been nothing but good to her and she had never felt threatened by any of them. "You're right." She nodded after a moment. "You're absolutely right. They have been nothing but great to you, me, and our baby."

Jacob nodded, smiling slightly as he heard a familiar voice from outside.

"Jacob? You home?" Paul called.

Jacob stood to see Paul, Sam, and Jared walking toward the house. He sighed, and turned to Bella. "Let me go tell them I am not going out tonight."

"Jake, you shouldn't sit here because of me." Bella said, as she stretched out on the couch, rubbing her pregnant stomach. "I am really tired anyway. I will probably just go to bed."

"No." Jacob told her. "After tonight, I don't want to leave your side." He smiled quickly before he was out the door. Immediately, he saw Sam, Paul, and Jared standing near Bella's truck. He quickly jogged up to the pack.

"Bella's here?" Sam asked, motioning toward the truck next to him.

"Yeah." Jacob sighed, crossing his muscular arms across his chest. "We had some…_issues _at her place, so I brought her here to keep her safe."

"What happened?" Sam asked.

"Cullen showed up." Jacob rolled his eyes. "He lied to her…said you guys wanted her dead because she is a liability…scared the crap out her. Luckily, I made it there before he could take her. I put him through a window and so here we are."

"You put him through a window?" Jared seemed impressed.

"I had to." Jacob said. "He got me so mad…everything he was saying…" Jacob shook his head.

"Well, maybe vampire boy had a point." Paul spoke up. "Maybe Bella is a liability."

Jacob's brow immediately furrowed. "What? Why would you even say that?"

"Well, I mean look at all the crap that has happened to us because of her." Paul shrugged. "We have never had a problem with the Cullen's and now, over her, we have tons of them."

"Plus, now we got a half wolf baby on the way, and let's be for real…that has never happened with someone outside of the tribe." Jared added. "And never without one of our imprints being the mother."

"I told you…I don't believe in that imprint crap." Jacob said through a clenched jaw, suddenly realizing that maybe Edward had not been the bad guy after all. Maybe Edward's warning had a purpose; maybe, possibly, Edward was right about the pack.

"Jacob, calm down." Sam stepped in. "They are just voicing their concerns." He motioned to Paul and Jared.

"Well they can take their concerns and shove them." Jacob growled. "I love Bella and I love my child, and nothing anyone says is going to change that." He eyes Paul and Jared up. "So just leave me alone about it."

And before anyone else could say anything, Jacob stalked off, back in the direction of his house. He contemplated telling Bella about what the tribe said, but realized that was stupid. Maybe he was just reading too much into it.

Once Jacob was back in his house, Sam turned to Paul and Jared. "Jacob is not going to see reason in any of this."

"He won't even consider what we have to say about Bella." Jared agreed. "He is just going to think we are taking her from him to spite him."

"Well…if he isn't going to corporate, then we just need to handle it ourselves." Paul said.

Sam nodded after a moment. "Tonight. If we can get Jacob away from her, we will handle it." He sighed.

"How?" Paul asked, after a moment.

"We give Bella a choice." Sam said. "I don't want to harm her if it's not necessary, so we give her the choice to get rid of the child or not."

"What…what if she won't?" Jared suddenly stammered, realizing that they would potentially have to seriously injure or kill a human, the ones they were sworn to protect.

"Then…well…then Bella is taken out of the equation as well." Sam shook his head at his own words. "I don't want it to lead to that. Bella doesn't deserve that…we just…can't have one of our own born to an outsider who runs with vampires. It's just not wise."

Paul and Jared nodded in agreement, but all three men fell silent after that. None of them wanted to harm Bella ad all three were hoping they could get her to understand their grounds before they would have to harm her. None of them were killers, and none of them wanted to become one; still they all knew that their loyalty was to the tribe, the pack, and its secrets.

* * *

The Cullen's pulled up to the boundary line in the middle of the woods. Emmett, Rosalie, Esme, and Carlisle stepped out of Carlisle's car, while Edward pulled up in the Volvo, letting Jasper out of the car with Alice sitting in the passenger seat.

Edward unrolled his window. "Are you guys good to go?"

Carlisle walked toward Edward's car and nodded. "We will keep them as far from you as we can."

"Put these on." Esme handed out Edward's clothes to Rosalie, Emmett, Jasper, and Carlisle before putting one of Edward's shirts on herself.

"Thank you all, for doing this again." Edward smiled to his family.

"Anything for Bella…and you." Emmett smirked.

Edward nodded.

"Remember to keep the windows up." Rosalie reminded Edward. "If will limit your scent being picked up."

Edward nodded again. "I…I will."

"And please be careful." Japer spoke more to Alice then Edward.

"We will be fine." Alice assured Jasper, although she herself was unsure. She could not see their future, not with the wolves clouding it.

"Well, then, roll the window up." Carlisle said. "When we start running you take off." He pointed ahead of Edward's car to a dirt road. "That will take you up the backside of the reservation."

"Okay." Edward stared ahead at the road before turning back to his family standing outside the car. "Really, thanks for this."

Carlisle nodded and Edward began to roll up his window, taking a deep breath as he did so. His thoughts were completely focused on Bella and her safety.

"She is going to be fine." Alice said as if she could hear Edward's thoughts. "We will get to Bella in time and everything will be fine. I know it."

Edward gave a small smile and a half nod to his sister sitting next to him, grateful for the company Alice would provide him on the mission before him.

* * *

Sam, Paul, and Jared had been sitting on the edge of the reservation when they caught the distinct scent of the Cullen's and in particular, of Edward. Originally, the plan had been to lead Jacob away from his home so they one of them could go in and get Bella, but they were unsure of how to do this. The Cullen's being so close to the boundary line, however, gave them an excuse. Plus, they needed to handle the vampires.

"Okay, so Jared and I will go get Jacob." Sam told Paul as he stood. "The Cullen's are the perfect distraction. He will not think twice about leaving Bella to deal with them."

"And then what?" Paul asked.

"Once Jacob, Jared, and I are into the woods, I want you to go and get Bella. Explain to her the situation, and that we do not want to harm her. If she will give up the child, then stay there with her until we can return." Sam said.

"What…what if she doesn't want to?" Paul asked. It had dawned on him that he may actually have to hurt Bella, and he was not sure if he could do that. Bella had done nothing wrong to him, except slapped him across the face that one time.

"Then…you handle it." Sam looked away as he spoke to Paul. "You will know what to do."

Paul nodded after a moment and then took off moving around the back of Jacob's house as Sam and Jared ran to the front door.

Sam and Jared knocked on the door frantically. A moment later, it flung open and Jacob stood there, looking slightly annoyed.

"Bella is trying to sleep!" Jacob whispered.

"Sorry." Sam whispered. "But we have problems."

"What?" Jacob crossed his arms across his chest. He was fed up with the pack for the night, and really just wanted to get back to Bella.

"Take whiff of the air, man." Jared told him.

Jacob did as directed, and immediately the scent of Edward Cullen filled his nostrils. He let out a low growl, realizing Edward was never going to leave them alone. It had to end, and it had to end now. Bella would have to forgive him, but Jacob could not allow Edward's existence to threaten his future with Bella any longer.

"Son of a bitch." Jacob growled, realizing he smelled the other Cullen's as well. "Are they all out there?"

"Smells that way." Sam told him.

"Well, let's go handle it." Jacob clenched his jaw as he closed the door behind him, leaving a sleeping Bella in his bedroom. "I am done playing Mr. Nice-Wolf. And I don't want them anywhere near Bella."

Sam nodded in agreement. "Let's get going then."

"Where is Paul?" Jacob asked as the three wolves began running toward the woods.

"His…mom isn't feeling great." Sam lied. "We figured we could handle these little Cullen's without him."

"Oh…I am going to do more than handle these Cullen's." Jacob growled before lunging into the woods, changing into his wolf-form midair.

Sam nodded at Jared with a small smile, knowing that Jacob's thoughts were on killing Edward, and not Bella's safety, as they followed Jacob's wolf-form into the woods.

* * *

Carlisle, Emmett, Rosalie, Jasper, and Esme stood a few feet away from Edward's revving Volvo. Edward was sitting, with Alice in his passenger seat, waiting for Carlisle to give him the signal that the wolves were on their way.

"What is taking so long?" Edward seemed jittery.

"It probably took the dumb mutts a second to realize that we were up here." Alice referred to the wolves. "Relax."

"I'll be relaxed once I know that Bella is safe." Edward glanced at his sister.

Suddenly Alice's eyes got huge as she pointed to Carlisle. "Go! Go!"

Edward turned to see Carlisle waving them on to indicate that the wolves were within reach before he, Esme, Rosalie, Emmett, and Jasper all took off in the opposite direction. Edward then quickly threw his car into drive, hitting the gas hard.

"Let's do this." Edward took a deep breath and drove the Volvo up the dirt road ahead, easily hitting one hundred miles an hour within seconds as he easily cruised across the boundary line, his windows tightly up. He clenched his jaw, hoping that Rosalie's plan would work, and that he and Alice could get to Bella before it was too late.

* * *

Paul slowly made his way up to the back of the Black's house. He opened the backdoor, glancing through the small building to see a light on in the front room. At first, he panicked, assuming Jacob had not left with Sam and Jared after all. He debated turning back around and letting Sam handle the situation.

"Jacob?" Bella's voice drifted from the front room.

Relief spilled through Paul immediately as he realized the only person in the house aside from him was Bella. Quickly he made his way into the front room. "No, it's Paul."

Bella was slightly shocked to see Paul enter the room, and the look on her face let Paul know that. It was not that she did not trust Paul, just after hearing everything that Edward had said, she could not help the unease that filled her pregnant frame. "Oh…hey Paul."

"Jacob left…" Paul leaned against the doorframe and motioned out the window, to the darkness. "Vampires on the edge of the reservation."

"Oh." Bella seemed slightly relieved. She had been worried about Jacob, having woken up to find herself alone in the dark house.

"Yeah." Paul moved into the room a little more. "The Cullen's actually. We picked up Edward's scent."

"They are out there?" Bella was somewhere between shocked and relieved. If Edward was out there, it meant Jacob had not really hurt him.

"Yes." Paul nodded. "That's why I am here and Jacob left. He wanted to…_handle_ it. I figured I would keep an eye on you."

Bella nodded; it made sense. Jacob would not want to leave her alone at that particular moment. She was still concerned with Edward's safety, but she did not think that Jacob would do anything to the vampire, not after the fight they had earlier that night over hurting Edward. She leaned back into the couch, shutting her eyes in relief as she rubbed her pregnant stomach.

"Are you tired?" Paul asked, standing in front of Bella. He was unsure how to handle this situation in front of him.

"I am." Bella opened her eyes. "The baby…" She took a breath. "It makes me tired."

"Well, maybe it's not good for you then." Paul seized the moment.

"What?" Bella immediately sat up, alarmed by Paul's words.

Paul slowly moved toward Bella. "Bella, you had to know we couldn't let this thing with Jacob go on any longer. You're not his imprint and the child…" He motioned to her stomach. "Is causing nothing but problems for the pack. Truthfully, you are causing nothing but problems with us and the Cullen's, but…if we can eliminate the baby then you can walk away from Jacob and all of this will go away."

Bella put a hand protectively over her stomach. She knew she was cornered with no real way out. Paul was much stronger and faster than her even without her being pregnant, but now, her condition made her like a sitting duck. "You…you can't have my baby." He tried to sound strong, but her voice came out in a whisper.

"Bella…please." Paul's eyes pleaded with her. "I don't want to have to hurt you. You're a nice enough girl…"

"Jacob won't let you hurt me or this baby." She continued, standing her ground despite the fact that she thought her heart may explode it was beating so fast.

"Jacob…will be angry at first." Paul nodded. "But once he finds his imprint he will be okay with it."

"Paul…please…" Bella felt the tears welling up in her eyes. "Don't hurt me."

"I don't want to, Bella." Paul said truthfully. "I just want the baby gone."

Bella closed her eyes tight, letting the tears drip down her cheeks as she took a deep breath. "No." She opened her eyes again. "No one is hurting my baby."

Paul nodded, swallowing hard before giving a slight shrug. "Well…I didn't want to have to do this but…" He began moving toward Bella at an alarming rate.

Bella braced herself for the attack, knowing no one would save her this time; Jacob was nowhere to be found and by the time he got back to his house she and his child would be dead.

Suddenly, the door to the Black's house went flying off the hinge as a flash of black and white seemed to throw Paul across the room.

Before Bella could register anything, Edward was pulling her up from the couch. "Bella, come on!"

Bella realized the black and white flash had been Edward, his pale white skin blending in with his black jacket. She was in shock to see him standing in front of her, and she looked it, her mouth hanging slightly open.

"Bella!" Edward grabbed her by the hand, yanking her into his arms before pulling her off the ground and running out the door with her close to his chest.

Before Bella knew it, she was being placed in the backseat of Edward's Volvo as he jumped in the drivers seat. She could see Alice in the passenger seat now, and could see Paul moving out of the Blacks front door at alarming speed.

"Edward! Move it!" Alice called to her brother. "He is coming!" She spoke of Paul.

Edward nodded and threw the Volvo into reverse at a high speed before doing a complete 180 turn and peeling off the reservation as fast as he had pulled up, leaving Paul in a cloud of dust.

"Edward…" Bella managed out after a minute, her voice a whisper.

"It's okay, Bella. You're okay now." Edward spoke as she glanced in his rearview mirror to see Bella's beautiful face.

Immediately, Bella's head fell into her hands and she began sobbing uncontrollably, her body visably shaking.

"Bella?" Alice panicked, reaching over the seat to pat the pregnant girl's hunched shoulder. "Bella? What's wrong?"

Bella shook her head, keeping it in her hands. "He tried to kill my baby." She was in shock over the fact that she had almost died, but more shocked over the fact that someone had wanted to harm her baby; the baby she loved unconditionally, the baby she loved more than her own life.

"I know." Edward said, still watching Bella from his rearview mirror. "But he didn't get the chance to. You're safe now."

"And so is the baby." Alice said, climbing into the back seat with Bella. She quickly wrapped her arms around the pregnant girls form and Bella collapsed into them, continuing to cry.

"Bella, everything is going to be okay now." Edward told her after a moment of silence. "No one…no _thing_…is going to hurt you. I won't let it." And he meant it. He was grateful he had made it to the reservation in time to save Bella, but he knew this was only the beginning of the adventure.

After a few minutes, Bella got herself under control. "Where…where are we going?"

"Back to our house." Edward said, no longer looking into the mirror as he spoke to her. He knew her heart rate had decreased and she was calming down, and that was his only concern right now. His feelings for Bella ran deep within him, but he knew her feelings for him were not the same, and were not a concern right now. The only thing he was worried about was keeping Bella alive.

Bella nodded, not knowing why she had bothered to ask when she already knew that would be the answer. She leaned away from Alice, rubbing small circles on her stomach as the baby kicked her hard and frequently, as if to let her know it had been just as frightened as her. Her thoughts drifted to Jacob and she wondered what he would do once he realized she was missing. She was sure Paul would lie about her leaving with Edward and Jacob would be furious, possibly too mad to think straight. She realized, the Cullen's might now be her only form of protection. "Thank you." She spoke up after a moment.

"For what?" Edward glanced in the mirror.

"For coming…" Bella looked at Edward in the mirror for the first time since she had gotten in the car and then glanced over at Alice, taking the female vampire's cold hand in hers. "For getting there in time to save…us." She motioned to her stomach, indicating she meant the baby as well.

Alice nodded, glancing up at Edward to see he, for the first time in a long time, had a look of relief on his face. She could tell, despite it all, Edward was just happy being around Bella. "No problem." She spoke for both her and Edward.

The rest of the ride was silent, and Bella had almost drifted off to sleep, despite the fact that Edward was driving ridiculously fast and it would take mere minutes to get to the Cullen's home. Suddenly, Edward jerked the car, causing Bella to almost fly forward.

"Jeez!" Alice glared at her brother, immediately looking Bella's pregnant frame over to see if she was okay. "We have precious cargo back here!" She motioned to Bella.

"Sorry." Edward suppressed a laugh.

"What?" Bella was in shock and almost angry that Edward was laughing at a time like this.

"Carlisle." Edward motioned to the black car in front of him. "He flew out of the woods a few feet back, cut us off."

Alice let out a sigh of relief. "At least they are safe."

"Why wouldn't they be?" Bella asked, immediately confused.

"Well…they were our distraction." Edward told her. "We can leave it at that."

"I guess we can say Rosalie's plan worked then." Alice teased Edward.

"For once she wasn't out to deliberately hurt me and Bella." Edward joked back, realizing how good it felt to laugh. He had not done that in a long time, not since he had lost Bella.

Bella was confused, but said nothing as Edward pulled the Volvo up his driveway.


	13. Such an Unfit Mother

Disclaimer: All characters and things associated with The Twilight Saga belong to Stephanie Meyers. This writing is for pure entertainment only.

Summary: Set during New Moon. After Edward leaves, Bella is miserable and Jacob is there for her until things go too far between them, leaving Bella in an unexpected condition. When Edward returns how will Bella explain her situation to him? B/E B/J pairings

**Chapter 13**

Edward helped Bella into the house, seeing as she was overwhelmed with the events of the night, she did not mind the extra hand he offered her. She balanced her pregnant weight on his arm and before she knew it they were in the Cullen's kitchen. Carlisle, Esme, Rosalie, Emmett, and Jasper were all relieved to see Alice walk in followed by Edward supporting a pregnant Bella.

"So we are safe." Carlisle smiled in relief at the sight of Bella.

"Well…we are all here." Edward spoke up.

"How was your end of it?" Alice asked, gracefully making her way into Jasper's arms.

"We managed." Jasper kissed the top of Alice's head.

"Managed? It was sick!" Emmett answered, wired from the fight and chase with the wolves. He was excited to tell Edward. "Some of the wolves were on us, they are pretty fast…but I took two of them out in a swing!"

Edward laughed at Emmett's enthusiasm. "One swing?"

"Please!" Rosalie rolled her eyes. "More like one swing, and then me jumping on the other one to fend him off of you." She poked Emmett's chest.

Emmett shrugged. "Well…I still got one."

"Wait…the pack was chasing you?" Bella asked.

Carlisle nodded. "It was part of the plan."

"We needed a way to get Edward to you." Esme added.

"We figured distracting the wolves would give me enough time to get to you." Edward told her, allowing her to lean into him. He could tell Bella was exhausted.

"And it worked, brilliantly I would assume." Rosalie glowed.

Edward rolled his eyes, trying not to laugh, but he could not hide his smile. It felt right to him, despite it all, to be holding Bella in his arms and be joking with his family. "Yes, Rosalie…you're plan was good."

Rosalie smiled, seeming pleased.

"How did it go…getting to Bella?" Carlisle asked.

Edward shook his head, glancing at Alice before looking back at Carlisle. His hand never moved from supporting Bella's back as he spoke; he loved holding her, even if she was pregnant with another man's child. "One of the wolves stayed back…Paul I think."

"It was Paul." Bella looked at Edward encouragingly, wanting him to finish the story so she did not have to. She was still slightly in shock that it had even occurred.

"Well…he was actually…from what I could see…going after Bella…?" Edward glanced down at Bella to confirm the information.

Bella nodded, glancing at Carlisle and then down at her pregnant stomach. "He said that…my baby was a threat to them…that I…I caused all of their problems with you guys." She fumbled over her words, realizing for the first time since it had occurred, just how hurtful Paul's words had been.

"Well, that's not true at all, Bella." Esme spoke up instantly, realizing Bella's feelings had been hurt.

"She is right." Carlisle nodded. "Wolves are just like that. They take care of their own first."

"That is one of their own, though." Rosalie pointed to Bella's stomach.

Bella shook her head, wrapping a hand around her belly. "No. Because Jacob didn't imprint, Paul said this baby…it's just a problem for them." A single tear escaped her eye. She was angry someone could say such mean things about the unborn child she loved so much.

"Well…they are stupid then." Edward pulled her a little closer. "Because that baby will be amazing." He kissed the top of her head, meaning every word he said. Even if she could never love him again, Edward would always love her, and he knew that any child that was part of Bella had to be equally as amazing as she was.

"Plus…why would you want your kid around crazy-ass wolves?" Emmett smiled.

Bella couldn't help but smile back at Emmett, his smile was infectious. "Thanks."

"Sure thing." Emmett nodded to her.

"Well…not to break this awesome moment, but…what are we going to do? I mean the wolves are going to come for Bella, especially now." Alice spoke up.

Carlisle nodded, knowing Alice's words were true. 'We will protect her and her child." He looked at Bella. "You are truly safe here, Bella. There is nothing to worry about."

Bella nodded, finding great comfort in Carlisle's words, and realizing, as she took them all in around her, just how much she had missed the Cullen's, and particularly, just how much she had actually missed Edward. It felt good, being close to him.

"Edward, why don't you get Bella upstairs to rest? I am sure she is tired." Carlisle spoke up.

"I am…actually." Bella looked up at Edward, her eyes asking if he would mind bringing her to bed.

"Sure." Edward nodded, gracefully picking Bella up so she would not have to waddle her way up the stairs that he climbed with her. He smiled down at her, pregnant or not, she was beautiful to him.

* * *

Jacob, Sam, and Jared made their way out of the woods and onto the reservation. They had chased the Cullen's away from the boundary, but the vampires had been too fast for the three wolves, and they had soon lost sight of the Cullen's.

"At least we got them away from here." Jared commented, trying to talk to ease his own nerves. He was anxious to know if Paul had handled Bella.

"For now." Jacob sighed, unaware of what had gone on with Bella and Paul. "They will be back. Edward won't leave her alone." He glanced up in the direction of his house and suddenly panicked filled his muscular form as he realized the door to the house was torn off the hinges.

"Jacob? What's wrong?" Sam read Jacob's expression and wondered if Jacob had figured out their plan of handling Bella and their unborn child. He hoped now, knowing Jacob was much stronger then he realized.

"The door!" Jacob began running as fast as he could toward his house, his thoughts racing a million miles a second as he prayed Bella was okay inside. He knew now how stupid it had been for him to leave her alone, even if it was only for twenty minutes.

Jacob reached the door frame and bolted through, panicking as he saw Paul sitting on the couch, a small cut o his head. "Paul? What happened? Where is Bella?"

"She is gone." Paul looked up at Jacob to see Sam and Jared filing in behind the alarmed werewolf.

"Gone?" Jacob ran a hand through his hair before moving to his bedroom and swinging open the door to find the bed he had left Bella in now empty. "What do you mean she is gone?" He turned back to Paul.

"I mean she left." Paul stood. He had been working on a good lie to tell Jacob since Bella had run off, and he was now confident Jacob would believe his story. "With _him_."

The color drained from Jacob's face immediately. He knew exactly who Paul was talking about, yet he did not want to believe it. "With…with who?"

Paul rolled his eyes. "With Edward Cullen. Who else?"

"How…why would she…" Jacob stumbled over his words, unable to wrap his mind around the idea of Bella leaving with Edward. She had told Jacob so many times she did not want to hurt anymore, that she did not want to be with Edward anymore, that she only loved him, so then why would she leave him for the vampire?

"Because…she never cared about you. She was just using you." Paul told Jacob.

"This was her plan all along." Sam played along, realizing Paul was making the story up as he went. "They must have planned to lead us away from the reservation and away from her, so that Edward could sneak here and get her without us knowing."

Jacob's eyebrow furrowed at the idea of Sam's words. They made sense, especially now with Bella missing; still there had to be other explanations. "Maybe he forced her to leave."

"That's what I thought." Paul lied. "That's why I rushed up here when I smelled him, but…she was going with him. I tried to spot her, she told me to…get out of her way, and then Edward…well…" Paul finished his lie by pointing to the scratch over his eyelid.

Jacob let Paul's word sink in for a moment as his eyes fell to the floor. Bella, his Bella, had walked out on him while she was carrying his child to be with a vampire, and not just any vampire, but one that had driven her into one of the deepest depressions Jacob had ever seen. Jacob felt numb, unable to believe he had just lost everything that he had considered important.

* * *

Edward carried Bella up the stairs and into his room, gently placing her pregnant form back on its feet as he turned the lights on to unveil his bedroom, although, instead of the couch that had originally been in it, a bed sat against the far wall of windows.

"When did you get a bed?" Bella asked, noticing it immediately. "You don't even sleep."

"I got it when we moved back here." Edward shrugged, digging his hands into his pockets. "I…I spent a lot of time in here…" Edward recalled the days he had spent hauled up in his room, sulking over Bella after he realized she no longer wanted him. "I wanted to be comfortable and a bed just seemed right."

"Why?" Bella found herself asking.

"Because…" Edward shrugged again, deciding to be honest with Bella. "It reminded me of you…when I would be in your room with you. I was most comfortable then." He nodded to himself as if he were agreeing with his own statement.

"Oh." Bella nodded, biting her bottom lip and cradling her pregnant stomach. To her surprise the child inside was unusual calm.

"Anyway." Edward motioned to the bed. "You should get some sleep."

"Yeah." Bella nodded in agreement.

"I…I will have Alice head over to your house tomorrow to get you some clothes." Edward realized now that Bella was in a green tank top and sweatpants. He knew she couldn't walk around like that for the next few days or weeks, however long it took to keep her safe.

"Thanks." Bella waddled over to the bed, struggling to climb in with her extra belly weight.

Before she had time to let out a grunt of frustration, Edward was at her side lifting her onto the bed and pulling the covers up around her. "There you go." He nodded at her.

"Thanks…again." Bella smiled at him.

"I missed that." Edward smiled back.

"What?" Bella was confused.

"Your smile." Edward spoke truthfully. "I missed seeing it."

"Oh." Bella nodded, understanding. Her smile immediately became tighter-lipped, which in turn caused Edward's to fade.

As Edward's smile faded his brow furrowed and his eyes dropped to the floor. He wanted to be honest with Bella, to tell her exactly how he was feeling, but he was struggling over if that was a good idea, especially now. "Bella…" He started.

"Yeah?" Bella asked sinking into the pillow behind her head.

"I…I want you to know…I miss you." Edward continued to look at the floor, unable to make eye contact with Bella. "But I understand that those words probably don't mean anything to you and that things are complicated right now…you just need to know, I never stopped loving you."

"I do know that." Bella told him. She wanted to tell him she felt the same, that she had never stopped loving him, but the words seemed to be caught in her throat.

"Well." Edward nodded. "I should let you sleep…I'll be downstairs with everyone…" He moved to the door.

"Edward?" Bella managed right before the vampire opened his bedroom door.

"Yes?" Edward answered, all too eagerly.

"Do…do you need to go downstairs?" Bella asked.

Edward shrugged, glancing back at her form in his bed, realizing her stomach was huge, his navy blue sheets falling gracefully over her hump. "Why?"

"Because…I've…I've always slept better with you around." Bella admitted as she now avoided eye contact with the vampire. She could not handle him rejecting her plea.

A smile instantly flew across Edward's face. He was at her side in a split second. "Sure."

Bella smiled back as she tried to move over for Edward to get into the bed.

"No. Stay." Edward smiled at her, gently climbing over her pregnant form, careful not to touch her stomach.

Bella giggled as Edward seemed to straddle her. Despite everything that had happened that night, she couldn't help the happy sensation that filled her every single time she looked into Edward's golden eyes. "Well, I bet this is a position you never expected to be in."

"What? Straddling you, or straddling you and a pregnant stomach?" Edward smile down at Bella and then flopped himself onto the other side of the bed.

"Both." Bella rolled over to face Edward.

Edward nodded, turning his head to look her in the eye. "Truthfully? I never thought either would happen."

Bella nodded. "I know. I didn't either."

"But…" Edward took Bella's hand in his. "Sometimes life doesn't work out exactly how we think it will."

"Don't I know it?" Bella looked down at her four-month pregnant stomach, knowing she looked much larger.

"But you love it." Edward told her.

"What?" Bella looked up.

"You love that baby. I can see it in your eyes." Edward told her. "And every time you look at it, or touch your stomach…I know you love it."

Bella nodded. "More than anything I've ever loved before."

Edward nodded, understanding. "Then…it's not a bad thing that it worked out this way for you."

"I'm sorry to have dragged you into all of this." Bella felt a tear escape her eye immediately. Edward's words had touched her.

"Shh…" Edward silenced her. "I would have done it for no other girl."

Bella nodded, fighting back a few more tears but unable to suppress her yawn.

"You should sleep." Edward told her.

"I don't want to." Bella gently closed her eyes.

"Why not?" Edward asked.

"Because…" Bella was trying to fight her sleep but failing miserably. "I'm scared…"

"I won't let anyone touch you, Bella." Edward told her, running a hand through her beautiful brown hair. "You're safe here."

"I'm not scared of that…" Bella mumbled, her voice full of sleep.

"Then what?" Edward asked.

"I'm scared…you won't be here when I wake up…" Bella's voice grew softer.

"I have nowhere else to be." Edward whispered to her as he leaned in and kissed her forehead. "So sleep."

Bella just smiled at the touch of Edward's lips on her forehead as sleep overcame her pregnant body.

As Bella slept, Edward stared, taking in each feature of her beautiful face and wondering how he had ever left her, how he had the strength to walk away from her. He knew now, he could never find the strength to do that again, he loved her too much.

* * *

It seemed like hours before Jacob moved from his spot in his living room. Sam, Jared, and Paul had stayed there with him, wondering if he would figure out they were lying or accept Paul's story as the truth.

Finally, Jacob moved; his fist clenching slightly as he looked up at Paul. The expression on his face now was one of anger. "You are sure she left willingly with Edward?"

Paul suppressed a grin, knowing Jacob believed him. "Yes."

"Then that's it." Jacob growled. "She left here, she stole my baby…" He turned to Sam. "I am not going to let my baby be raised by some vampire."

Sam nodded after a moment, realizing that was acceptable. Maybe the child had not been the problem after all, maybe it was just Bella. If Bella was out of the picture he saw no reason to kill the baby, especially if it could be raised with the pack. "Then don't let it."

"I will kill them all." Jacob nodded. "Every single one of those blood suckers. My child will not be exposed to that." He turned toward the door.

"Where are you going?" Jared asked.

"To the Cullen's." Jacob said, rage in his heart. He bounded out of his house before anyone could stop him, not that he would have listened. He was too angry, too hurt. Bella had broken him.

Sam watched Jacob run off and then turned back to Paul and Jared. "Assuming he is that angry when he gets to the Cullen's, I don't see this problem persisting much longer."

"Why did you say that about his kid? About not letting the vampires have it. Let them have it! Let them kill it!" Paul suggested.

Sam shook his head. "If Bella and the Cullen's are out of our way, that child is still part wolf. It is still part of this pack."

"So now…Bella is the problem?" Jared asked.

Sam nodded. "Unfortunately. Though I believe Jacob will see that now."

"Assuming Bella doesn't tell him the truth." Paul sighed. "You know…that I tried to kill her."

"She can tell Jacob that." Sam said. "As long as Jacob doesn't believe her, it won't matter."

"Then he better not believe her." Paul said, placing his icepack back on his eyebrow and praying that Jacob did not believe Bella. Paul was in no condition to fight with Jacob right now, especially not if Jacob was mad; if Jacob was angry, Paul was sure he would be killed in a fight against the other werewolf.

* * *

Bella slept soundly, rarely moving at all. Edward found this odd from his position on the opposite wall, carefully keeping an eye on her and remembering how much she used to toss and turn in her sleep. He assumed it had something to do with her rapidly growing baby bump, limiting her mobility.

Edward sighed, running a hand through his hair and leaning more on the wall then before. He could not believe he had left her behind, he could not believe he had thought he was protecting her. All he had done was brought her pain and misery, and had made her so numb that she chose to sleep with Jacob, which led to her now pregnant state.

Edward blamed himself for everything that had happened to Bella since he had left. He knew that it was unfair to himself, but he could not hold anyone else accountable, not even Bella. He knew he had driven her into a corner of terrible options.

Suddenly a loud crash came from downstairs, causing Edward to turn his head toward his door and Bella to jump out of her sleep, completely started.

"What??" Bella panicked, looking around, her heartbeat increasing greatly.

"Bella, you're okay." Edward was kneeling at her side in a split second.

"What was that?" Bella asked, her eyes still frantic, though her heart calming.

Edward listened downstairs, and immediately heard the angry thoughts of Jacob Black fill his head. He sighed. "It's Jacob."

"What?" Bella's heartbeat picked up again.

"Relax." Edward laid a hand over hers. "I won't let anything happen to you." He stood, offering Bella his hand. "Come on."

Bella nodded, and slowly got out of bed, struggling against her pregnant weight. She then let Edward guide her toward the slightly opened door of his bedroom. "Is he angry?" She whispered.

Edward listened to his thoughts and realized Jacob was beyond angry, he was livid. "Uh…yeah, a little."

Bella looked down at her pregnant stomach, feeling her child kicking. She realized her stress was probably causing the baby to kick and tried to calm down, only making it kick harder. "Ouch." She grabbed her stomach.

"Are you okay?" Edward was immediately concerned.

"The baby kicked." Bella explained. "It's just really strong sometimes."

Edward frowned. Bella shouldn't have a monster, like a werewolf, growing inside of her delicate body.

"Are we going to stay up here or?" Bella asked, after a moment of silence.

Edward snapped out of his train of thought and could now here Jacob shouting for Bella downstairs. He knew Carlisle, Emmett, and Jasper were there to hold the werewolf back, but Edward wanted to get Bella to safety. He could tell, by Jacob's thoughts, the wolf was no longer thinking rationally, and Bella was in real danger. "Uh…no. That probably wouldn't be a good idea."

"Edward!" Esme whispered.

Edward looked out his cracked door to see Esme, Alice, and Rosalie sticking their heads out of Rosalie and Emmett's room, across the landing. He realized, by reading their thoughts, if he could get Bella in there with them, they could get her safely out the back door and into the garage and away from Jacob. "We are going to get over to Esme, Rose, and Alice." He pointed ahead.

Bella nodded, seeing the three female vampires. "Okay."

Edward pulled Bella up into his arms, close to his chest. "Hold on." Edward then took off across the landing in a flash of vampire speed.

Before Bella could blink, Edward was placing her feet down on the floor infront of Alice, Rosalie, and Esme.

"Did he see you?" Rosalie asked.

"I don't think so." Edward shook his head.

"Wrong!" Jacob's voice bellowed from downstairs, causing Bella to flinch. "Werewolf sight and hearing! I know you're up there…_Bella_!"

Edward shook his head, realizing he had forgotten Jacob too had strong powers.

"What do we do?" Alice asked.

"I should go downstairs…talk to him." Bella suggested.

"No!" Edward said, quickly. "He is dangerous. Trust me, I read his mind."

"He won't hurt me." Bella told Edward, truly believing it. No matter how angry Jacob was he would never hurt his own child. "I need to explain everything to him, get him to understand."

Before Edward could object Bella was pushing her way passed him and onto the landing. She looked down the stairs to see Jacob standing by the door, his fist clenched, and Carlisle, Jasper, and Emmett standing in front of him, blocking the wolf from the steps.

"Bella! Stay there!" Carlisle put a hand up, as if to stop the pregnant girl from coming down the stairs.

"Listen to him." Edward was at Bella's side now, with Alice, Rosalie, and Esme behind him. "Talk from up here." He placed a cold hand on her arm.

Bella nodded, realizing Edward meant what he said, and was really afraid for her to go by Jacob. "Okay." She spoke to Edward and then turned to Jacob. "Jake…"

"No!" Jacob cut her off immediately. "You don't get to use that innocent little voice on me anymore! You used me!"

"What?" Bella was shocked. "Jake…I didn't use you…"

"Yes you did! You used me until that blood sucker came back!" Jacob pointed at Edward. "And then…the second you got to run off with him you did!"

"Jacob Black!" Bella stood her ground. "I didn't run off anywhere! Paul tried to kill me tonight! Me and _your_ baby!"

"My baby! Exactly! That baby is mine!" Jacob growled, pointing to Bella's stomach. "And don't lie to me anymore, Bella! You can't do it! Paul would never hurt you!"

"Jacob!" Bella could not believe he would not believe her. "Why would I lie? Why would I make up a story like that?"

"To be with your precious Cullen!" Jacob growled. "It's always been about him!" He pointed to Edward. "You used me, Bella! You used me too ease whatever sick psycho pain you had from that vampire, and unfortunately you got something you didn't expect out of it!" He pointed to Bella's stomach. "You are nothing but a lying, using_...slut_!"

"I didn't use you, Jacob!" Bella was starting to cry now, unable to believe what Jacob was saying to her and about her.

"Enough, Jacob!" Edward growled, furious that Jacob had called Bella a slut. She was the farthest thing from that.

"Why?" Jacob growled. "You don't like to hear the truth? Don't like that your little Bella would be so eager to jump into someone else's bed? Don't like that I got there before you, Cullen!" Jacob sneered.

Bella sobbed at Jacob's words, feeling unable to defend herself.

Esme quickly wrapped an arm around Bella, looking down at Carlisle.

Carlisle nodded, reading Esme's facial expression and turning back to Jacob. "That's enough out of you, Jacob. You are not welcome here. Get out."

"Like hell." Jacob snorted.

"You heard him." Emmett cracked his knuckles in Jacob's face. "Get out."

"I'm not afraid of you." Jacob stepped at Emmett.

"You should be." Jasper grabbed Jacob by the throat, tossing him back slightly.

"You can't push me around." Jacob told them before looking back up at Bella and Edward. "And you can't keep me from my kid either! The second it's born, I will be coming for it! Like hell I am going to leave it with such a mess of a mother!"

Bella's eyes dropped to her stomach as her mind raced with images of Jacob ripping a baby from her arms.

Edward could tell by the increase in Bella's heart rate that she was even more upset now. "Don't threaten her!"

"It's not a threat." Jacob said calmly. "It's a fact. That baby is half werewolf, it belongs with my tribe. I will not leave it with such an unfit mother! I will be back for it!"

Bella sobbed harder.

"Get out, Jacob." Carlisle said sternly.

Jacob grinned, but then was suddenly thrown out the door by Emmett. A moment later, Emmett walked back into the house, shaking dirt from his shirt. "He's gone for now. Took off into the woods."

Once Bella realized Jacob had left, she immediately fell to the ground, tears in her eyes.

"Bella!" Edward knelt down next to her, pulling her up closer to his ice cold body and allowing her tears to fall onto his shirt. "Bella, don't cry. What Jacob said about you…it's not true."

Bella shook her head. "Yes it is…"

"No, it's not, sweetie." Esme ran a hand over Bella's head. "He was just angry."

"And stupid." Rosalie added, feeling the odd need to comfort Bella.

Edward nodded up at Rosalie, silently thanking her. He knew those were the kindest words she could offer.

"He can't have my baby." Bella pulled away from Edward's chest after a moment, wiping tears from her eyes. "He can't have it." She ran her hands over her pregnant stomach. "I don't care if he is the father…I won't let him have it."

"And neither we will." Carlisle was now standing on the landing with Jasper and Emmett behind him.

"Right." Edward nodded, helping Bella wipe her tears. "Jacob will not touch you and this baby. We will keep you safe."

Bella threw her arms around Edward in that instant, crying harder. "I am so sorry for hurting you."

"No." Edward shook his head, basking in the scent of her shampoo. He had missed being this close to her. "I'm sorry. For everything I did." He held Bella close for a long time, not wanting to let her go, not wanting to let the warmth of her body leave his. His mind raced with thoughts of her, and how he would keep her and her child safe, at all costs. Jacob would not get to them,


	14. Notes Left Behind

Disclaimer: All characters and things associated with The Twilight Saga belong to Stephanie Meyers. This writing is for pure entertainment only.

Summary: Set during New Moon. After Edward leaves, Bella is miserable and Jacob is there for her until things go too far between them, leaving Bella in an unexpected condition. When Edward returns how will Bella explain her situation to him? B/E B/J pairings

**Chapter 14**

It had been almost a week since Edward had brought Bella back to the Cullen house and Jacob had come by, threatening them all. Since then, one of the Cullen's was always with Bella, making sure she was safe. That afternoon it was Alice and Jasper's turn to watch the pregnant girl, sleeping in Edward's bed. Edward had tried to be the one to stay by Bella's side, but Alice had told Edward that Carlisle wanted to speak with him, so Edward had gone to the kitchen.

Edward poked his head through the door frame of the Cullen's kitchen to find Carlisle sitting at the table. "You wanted to see me?"

"Yes." Carlisle motioned to the seat across the table from him. "Come sit."

Edward complied, taking a seat across from his father. "What's up?"

"We need to figure out what we are going to do about Bella." Carlisle said. "It isn't safe for her to stay here in Forks. The wolves know where she is right now."

"I know." Edward sighed, running a hand through his tousled hair. "I just…I'm not sure what other options we have."

"We have to get her away from here." Carlisle said.

Just then Esme, Rosalie, and Emmett came into the kitchen, their eyes all golden, indicating they had just returned from a hunt.

"Hey." Emmett smacked Edward on the back. "Good to see you can sit without being next to Bella."

"Alice and Jasper are upstairs with her." Edward said simply, more frustrated with the situation of keeping Bella safe then Emmett's stupid little comment.

"What's with the long face?" Esme asked Edward.

"We are discussing what the next step is with Bella." Carlisle told his wife. "It isn't safe for her to stay here."

"Maybe I can take her somewhere." Edward suggested. "Somewhere away from here, where Jacob can't find us."

"And then what?" Rosalie asked. "You're going to raise some half werewolf kid with Bella in some far away land?"

Edward growled at Rosalie, hating her for being so realistic. "I could."

"Edward, that is a stupid plan." Rosalie said flatly.

Edward growled again.

"Rosalie, enough." Carlisle shot a look at his daughter before turning back to Edward. "Rosalie has a point though, Edward. It isn't practical to think you can just run off with Bella and all will be fine."

"Then what do we do?" Edward asked.

"Well, it is impractical for you to run off with Bella alone. You could not help her with her pregnancy or the birth or that child without some assistance. I also do not think you alone can be the soul protector of her and her child, not when the wolves will want to get to her so badly." Carlisle stated.

"So what are you saying, Carlisle?" Edward raised an eyebrow.

"Well…" Carlisle looked to Esme, Emmett, and Rosalie and then back to Edward. "I already discussed it with the family. I think it is best if we all go and keep Bella safe."

Instantly Edward focused his thoughts on Carlisle's thoughts, and could see his father was planning on taking them to the Cullen's secluded home in the mountains of Canada.

"Canada?" Edward asked out loud. "You want to all go to Canada?"

"We will do whatever we need to do in order to keep our family together…and safe." Carlisle told Edward. "We are all in agreement we do not want to be separated."

"So you would all just pick up and leave to help me protect Bella?" Edward looked around at his family.

"Hey, we love Bella too." Emmett told his brother. "We don't want anything to happen to her either."

"Plus, we already all moved back here for you, so what's one more move?" Rosalie asked.

Edward smiled at his family. "Thank you." And then his smile faded.

"Edward, what's wrong?" Esme asked.

"Bella may not want to leave." Edward realized. "I mean…Charlie is here and…she just may not want to pack up like that."

"She doesn't have a choice if she wants to keep herself and her child safe." Carlisle told Edward.

"I can't force her to do anything if she doesn't want to." Edward said, and he wouldn't force her. He and Bella were just starting to get close again, the past few days contributing to it greatly and he was not about to push her too far too fast.

"You're not forcing me." Bella's pregnant form appeared in the doorframe followed by Alice and Jasper. Bella looked much larger then she had at the beginning of the week, it was hard to believe she was only a little over four months along.

"You're awake." Edward couldn't help the smile that flew across his lips at the sight of Bella.

Bella nodded, slowly waddling over to the table, and taking a seat next to Edward, turning her attention toward Carlisle. "I want to go. Whatever I need to do to keep my baby safe…I will do it."

"Very well then." Carlisle nodded, looking around the room at the rest of his family. "We need to pack. We will head for Canada tonight."

"Canada!" Alice squealed, grabbing onto Jasper's arm. "I love Canada! That house…those woods!"

"Those grizzly bears!" Emmett was also enthused now, thinking about all the food they could get up there.

"Is that the only thing you think about?" Jasper raised an eyebrow at Emmett.

"I'm a growing boy!" Emmett joked.

"Everyone calm down." Carlisle smiled at his children. "We still need to pack and get the cars ready to go."

Everyone complied and shuffled out of the room, leaving Bella and Edward alone at the kitchen table.

"I…I have to figure out a way to tell Charlie." Bella looked to Edward.

Edward nodded. "I will go over there with you, if you want."

"He is coming home from his camping trip tomorrow." Bella rubbed small circles on her pregnant stomach. "I think it is best if I am just gone before then. Less questions."

Edward nodded, understanding. "Well, we can go there before we leave, you can leave him a note or something and you can grab whatever you need from your room."

"Okay, that sounds good." Bella took a deep breath, looking down at her hump of a stomach.

"Bella, are you sure this is what you want?" Edward asked, noticing the visible worry on Bella's face.

Bella nodded fiercely. "Yes." She looked up at Edward. "I have to keep my baby safe. I can't let anything happen to it, so if that means I need to leave here and go…I'll go."

"I've underestimated your strength, Bella Swan." Edward smiled gently at her.

Bella laughed. A few months ago, a sentence like that from Edward would have made her weak in the knees, but now she had far too many things to worry about. "Have you?"

Edward nodded. "You have grown into quite a woman. You will be a great mother." He took her hand in his and kissed it gently, his eyes never leaving her chocolate colored orbs.

* * *

Jacob sat at Sam's kitchen table with Jared and Paul. Emily had cooked them a steak dinner before heading out to do some shopping. As they sat over dinner, everyone could tell Jacob's mind was on other things, mainly Bella and his child. Sam had decided that it would be in the best interest of the pack to stay on Jacob's good side and help him retrieve his child after Bella gave birth. Plus, none of the werewolves thought it would be bad to have one of their own kind's child running around.

"Jacob, you okay?" Jared poked Jacob's arm with his fork.

Jacob nodded, snapping back into reality. "Yeah. Sorry…I was just thinking."

"About Bella?" Paul rolled his eyes; Jacob had been acting like this for a week and he was getting sick of it.

"Yes." Jacob narrowed his eyes at Paul.

"What about her?" Sam tried to lighten the mood, not wanting tension between the pack.

"I am just wondering…if she will stay around here." Jacob said. "I have been thinking about it a lot lately…if she just takes off with the Cullen's before the baby is born."

"You really think she would have the balls to do that? Or better yet, that those blood suckers would want to deal with her?" Jared asked.

"What do you mean?" Jacob asked.

"I mean…" Jared swallowed a mouthful of food. "I mean she is having a werewolf baby, not a vampire baby. Those Cullen's and your kid are mortal enemies, the Cullen's know that. You really think they would mess around with one of us just to save Bella?"

"I think Edward would." Jacob said truthfully. He had calmed down over the past few days and now was just hurt that Bella would take his child and walk away from him. He couldn't allow that to happen. If he couldn't have Bella then she couldn't have his child.

"Jared raises a point." Sam cut in. "Edward may be stupid but Carlisle certainly isn't. He wouldn't risk his entire family's safety for Bella. Plus, Bella can't leave here. What about Charlie?"

"Yeah." Jacob nodded after a moment. He had completely forgotten about Charlie. "I didn't even think of Charlie, but you're right. Bella wouldn't leave him behind. She knows it would kill him."

"See? So she is going nowhere." Sam said.

"Still…even if she stays, Edward won't let me near that kid when it's born." Jacob said.

"It's not Edward decision, it's not his kid." Jared said, taking another mouthful of food.

"And do you really think Edward will be around all the time?" Paul asked. "Doesn't Charlie hate him?"

"Yeah." Jacob nodded. "Charlie really dislikes Edward, especially after the shape Bella was in after he left her."

"So then use Charlie to your benefit." Paul said simply. "Make sure Charlie is on your side, that way Bella can't see Edward and then when your kid is born you will have access to it. I am sure you can coax Bella into feeding Charlie some crap about not wanting the kid, and then you can come sweeping in and take the baby. Charlie will think you're the good guy, and that his daughter makes terrible decisions."

"I don't know if I will be able to get Bella to give the kid up that easily." Jacob said truthfully. "At first, I don't think she wanted it, but now…I think she loves that baby."

"Then she should have stayed with you." Sam told Jacob. "She left. The only thing you should be worried about now is your child."

Jacob nodded after a moment. "You're right." And Jacob realized that Sam was making complete sense. Bella had walked away from him and any chance at a family that she had. Jacob would not let his child be raised by vampires, and he knew he could not save Bella from Edward's grasp, so his only choice was to get his child away from her at all costs.

* * *

Edward drove his Volvo up to the Swan residence household with Bella in his passenger seat. The house was dark, indicating that Charlie was indeed not back from his camping trip yet. As Edward parked the car, Emmett's jeep, Rosalie's convertible, and Carlisle's car pulled up next to him. They were all ready to head to Canada the second Bella was done inside of her house.

Edward looked over to Bella to see her absentmindedly playing with her ring, and he knew she was worried about what she would write in her note to Charlie. Gently, Bella reached across, taking her hand in his to steady it. "Do you want me to come inside with you?"

Bella quickly glanced up at Edward, her cheeks flushed with red. "If you don't mind…"

"Not at all." Edward smiled, quickly getting out of his car, and opening her passenger door before Bella could blink. He offered Bella his hand, helping her out of his car. He then glanced over to Emmett's truck, where he and Jasper sat. "Tell Rosalie and Carlisle this will only take a few minutes." He nodded toward Rosalie and Carlisle's cars, parked next to Emmett's jeep.

"Sure thing." Emmett gave Edward a thumbs up.

Edward nodded and then turned his attention back to Bella, helping her up her front steps and into her dark house. He quickly flicked on the kitchen light to reveal the broken window and knocked over chair from his encounter with Jacob earlier that week. He frowned, looking away.

"Don't worry about that." Bella knew what Edward's scowl was about. "I'll just tell Charlie something fell through the window." She moved to the drawer, pulling out a piece of paper and a pen. She had suddenly had a burst of confidence in writing Charlie the note. She knew it would hurt him, for her to walk away, but she also knew she had no choice; she had to keep her baby safe.

Bella quickly scribbled a note out to Charlie explaining that she had left, but loved him dearly, and hoped he would understand she did what was best for her. She then placed the note neatly on the kitchen table and turned to Edward. "I just need to grab some stuff from my room."

"Bella." Edward grabbed her gently by the arm before she could move. He read her eyes, trying to figure out why her attitude had become so nonchalant in her house. "You don't have to be so strong right now."

"Yes I do." Bella nodded, pointing to her pregnant stomach. "For my baby, I do."

Edward nodded, realizing he would never completely understand Bella. She was far too complex. "Okay. Let's get you packed up then." And in one swift movement, Edward had Bella in his arms and was carrying her effortlessly up the stairs. When they reached her bedroom he placed her down.

"I just need a few things from my closet and bathroom." Bella moved to her closet, pulling out a few sweatshirts. By the time she had all of her clothes picked out; Edward had packed up all of her bathroom belongings and placed them neatly in a duffle bag on her bed.

"Lets just get that stuff in the bag." Edward said, reaching for the clothes Bella had placed on the bed. "If you forgot anything we can pick it up once we are out of here."

"Edward?" Bella bit her lip as she swayed awkwardly.

"Yes?" Edward asked, trying to repress a laugh at Bella's behavior. If it had been any other time he would have had to comment on how ridiculous she looked, swaying from foot to foot with her large stomach.

"What?" Bella blushed, realizing he was about to laugh.

"Nothing." Edward cleared this throat and straightened his facial features out into serious ones. "What?"

"Really…thank you for all of this." Bella nodded, her hands gracefully falling to her hump of a stomach. "For everything you are doing for me…for us." She patted her stomach for emphasis.

"Bella." Edward was serious now. "I meant what I said. I never stopped loving you, and I won't ever stop. You have become my world and nothing will change that. I will keep you safe." He motioned to her stomach. "Both of you."

Bella felt the tears swelling in her eyes, and had to crack a smile. She couldn't believe how sweet Edward was being with such an absurd situation starring him in the face. "Well, thanks."

"Sure." Edward reached for her hand. "Let's get going."

Bella nodded, taking his hand and one more good look around her room, knowing there was a good chance it was the last time she would ever see it. She then allowed Edward to walk her down the stairs and out to his Volvo where his family was waiting.

"Took you long enough." Emmett teased.

"Sorry." Bella mumbled.

"He is joking, Bella." Carlisle said. He was now standing outside of Emmett's car. He turned to Edward. "Are we ready?"

Edward looked at Bella and nodded. "Yes." He then placed her bags in his trunk and by the time he was done, Carlisle had helped Bella into the passenger seat of the Volvo and was now revving the engine of his own car, signaling they were ready to leave.

Edward slide into the driver's seat, turning the Volvo on and looking to Bella who seemed nervous now, taking deep breaths as if to calm herself. "Are you ready?"

Bella nodded quickly, her eyes falling to her pregnant stomach.

"Hey." Edward grabbed her hand and squeezed gently. "It is going to be okay."

Bella looked up, and was met with Edward's soft smile, forcing a smile onto her own lips as she watched him pull out of her driveway, following Carlisle's car in the direction that would lead all of the Cullen's and herself out of Forks.

* * *

Jacob sat in his small living room, watching television. Since visiting Bella was no longer an option, Jacob suddenly realized he had a lot of free time on his hands, and a lot of that time he spent thinking. At first it had been about all the ways he could slowly kill Edward Cullen, but over the past few days his thoughts had shifted to Bella. He knew he had been rude and unkind in his last encounter with him, but he had been so angry and hurt. More than anything, he wanted Bella and his child back, but that seemed impossible now. Bella did not want him, she wanted Edward, so Jacob's only option was to give his child, when it was born, a nice, safe home away from any vampires.

Jacob knew it would kill Bella to lose that child, but it was the chose she had made. As long as Bella was involved with the Cullen's, Jacob would not let his child around her.

Suddenly, the front door to Jacob's house opened and his father came rolling into the room in his wheelchair.

"Dad?" Jacob raised an eyebrow. "I thought you weren't coming back until tomorrow?"

"We weren't, but the weather said rain tomorrow and Charlie and I did not want to get caught up in that." Billy explained why he was home early from his camping trip.

"Oh. I see." Jacob nodded.

"Is Bella around?" Billy glanced around the room. "I am sure Charlie will want to see her. He missed her."

"No." Jacob shook his head casually, deciding he was not going to tell his father what had gone on that week with Bella. "She isn't here tonight."

"Oh." Billy nodded, but raised an eyebrow, wondering why Bella was not there. Lately, as the pregnancy progressed so had the hours Bella spent at the Black residence. Billy couldn't help but find it a little odd that she was not there that night.

* * *

They had been driving a few hours, as Edward finally pulled the Volvo up to their home in Canada and Carlisle, Rosalie, and Emmett all pulled up beside him in front of the house. This house, similar to the one in Forks was very large, with huge windows, although it sat on a good ten acres of land, with no neighbors for miles. Edward smiled to himself; he had always loved this house, especially because the hunting in the woods that surrounded it was so great.

Edward turned his car off and glanced over to see Bella asleep in the passangerseat, one hand behind her head and the other curved protectively around her pregnant body. He hated to have to wake her up, she looked so peaceful.

"Bella?" Edward whispered softly.

Bella just grumbled, clearly still half asleep.

"Bella…come on." Edward gave her a few pokes to the arm.

Slowly Bella's eyes opened and she sat up. "Ugh…" She rubbed her eyes, looking around. "Where are we?"

"Home." Edward grinned, pointing to the huge house that sat in front of them.

"That's your house?" Bella was shocked, but knew she had no reason to be. The Cullen's house that sat in front of them seemed to be only slightly larger than the one in Forks.

"Our house." Edward smiled at her. "For as long as you need to stay."

Bella smiled back, feeling the baby inside of her doing a few summersaults. She took those as a sign that it was as happy as she was to be safe and with the Cullen's.

"Okay. Let's get going." Edward jumped out of his car, moving around and opening the door for Bella to get out. He then effortlessly took her hand, escorting her out of the Volvo, and then tossing his arm over her back as he helped her to the house.

Bella could notice Edward's relaxed demeanor compared to the one he had in Forks. He seemed to be at so much more ease now that they were away from Forks and Jacob, and Bella could not help but feel his behavior running off onto her. She too, felt much more at ease.

* * *

Charlie Swan pulled up to his house, tired from the week of camping. He got out of his cruiser and suddenly froze, starring at his shattered kitchen window that lay all over his front lawn. He quickly ran into the dark house, panicking for his pregnant daughter's safety.

"Bella?" Charlie yelled in the house, flipping on the lights as he went room to room. "Bella?"

Finally, Charlie reached the kitchen, flicking the light on to see the damaged window, and a note on the kitchen table. He grabbed the note, quickly scanning it, and realizing it was from Bella. He was in shock as he held the note in his hand, trying to process what she had written. Basically, she told him she loved him, but was taking off.

Charlie crumbled the paper up and was in his cruiser two minutes later, speeding off in the direction of the reservation. He assumed Bella had taken off with Jacob, but could not understand why.

A few minutes later, Charlie pulled up to the Black's home and jumped out of his car, racing up the steps.

"Billy!" Charlie called before he made it to the front door. "Billy?" He pounded on the door.

A second later, Billy opened the door, starring up at Charlie from his wheelchair; he could instantly see the look of frustration on my face. "Charlie? What's wrong?"

"We have to find them." Charlie was frantic, concerned about Bella's wellbeing, especially in her pregnant state.

"Find who?" Billy was confused.

Charlie shook his head. "Bella and Jacob. We have to find them."

"What are you talking about?" Charlie asked.

"I got Bella's note…" Charlie started.

"What note?" Jacob was standing behind Charlie now, a look of confusion on his own face.

"Jacob?" Charlie was shocked to see the young man standing in front of him. "How…you're home?"

Jacob nodded slowly, noticing that the color was starting to drain from Charlie's face. "I am…"

"Charlie, come in." Billy backed his chair up, allowing Charlie room to enter their home.

Charlie complied, slowly shuffling into the Black's living room as the color continued to drain from his cheeks. He sat himself down on the couch and Billy wheeled his chair up across from Charlie, while Jacob stood off to the side, his arms crossed.

"Now…what are you talking about?" Billy tried again. "You got a note from Bella?"

Charlie nodded, starring off in shock. If Bella was not with Jacob, Charlie had no idea where she could have been or why she took off and he was beyond concerned.

"What did it say?" Jacob was more curious then worried.

"She…she took off." Charlie continued to stare out in front of him. "She left."

"Where did she go?" Billy asked.

"It didn't say." Charlie shrugged, and then looked up at Jacob. "I thought she left with you."

Immediately, Jacob's hands were in first. He knew exactly who Bella had left with and it wasn't him. "Those damn Cullen's…" He mumbled.

"What?" Charlie asked, catching what Jacob had said.

Jacob sighed, shaking his head. "Edward. She must have left with Edward."

"Edward Cullen?" Charlie was confused. "I thought he moved."

"He moved back." Jacob told Charlie. "Bella has been…_talking_ to him again. She must have taken off with him." Jacob couldn't believe the Cullen's would actually take off with Bella in order to keep him away from her and his child. They had no right; the baby Bella was carrying was his, not theirs. It only made Jacob wanted to get Bella back and under his thumb that much more. He wouldn't lose his child like he had lost her.

"Why would she do that?" Charlie asked.

"Because…she and i got in a little...arguement." Jacob explained. Technically, they had gotten in a fight.

"Yeah, but Jake, with the baby…why would she walk away from you? Any fight couldn't have been bad enough for that." Charlie could not imagine Bella leaving with Edward so easily. He knew how much Edward had hurt his daughter and he also knew how much Bella wanted things to work out with Jacob for the sake of the baby. It seemed like in less than a week everything he thought about Bella was turned around on him.

Jacob's face held no emotion not because he wasn't feeling any, but because he was feeling too much. Half of him was crushed that Bella had chosen Edward over him, ran away with the vampire instead of trying to work things out with Jacob. Part of Jacob wanted to work things out with Bella, part of him loved her. The other part of him was angry that Bella thought she could take his child away from him so easily; angry that she would lie about the pack as a way to get away from him. Jacob wasn't sure which part was more dominating, but he knew one thing, Bella needed to come home, f not just for him and the sake of their child but also for Charlie. Jacob didn't understand how Bella could be so selfish and it only made him want to get his child away from her poor decision making skills that much more.

"Don't worry, Charlie." Jacob told the distraught father. "I will find her and bring her home. I promise."

Charlie nodded, taking a deep breath as his mind raced with all the memories of Bella breaking apart over the loss of Edward. Charlie couldn't wrap his mind around the concept of Bella leaving Jacob behind to be with Edward ever again, but especially not now, not when she was pregnant with Jacob's child. Charlie just hoped Jacob was right and that they would find her and bring her home.


	15. You Loved Me Once

Disclaimer: All characters and things associated with The Twilight Saga belong to Stephanie Meyers. This writing is for pure entertainment only.

Summary: Set during New Moon. After Edward leaves, Bella is miserable and Jacob is there for her until things go too far between them, leaving Bella in an unexpected condition. When Edward returns how will Bella explain her situation to him? B/E B/J pairings

**Chapter 15**

Two weeks had passed since the Cullen's with Bella had moved back to their home in Canada. Everyone was settling back into the place, and Bella was getting used to her new surroundings.

Edward smiled to himself as he sat casually in a chair at his desk with one leg crossed over the other, across from his bed which held the form of a five month pregnant sleeping Bella in it. He could not believe how much her stomach had grown in the two weeks they had been in Canada. However, he was more shocked at how good he and Bella were getting along. The past few weeks had been stressful on the pregnant girl, but Edward couldn't help how happy he felt, knowing she was opening back up to him, and letting him in her life again.

Suddenly, Bella grumbled in bed, turning over and slowly sitting up. The morning light flooded the room and her eyes took a second to adjust. Once they did, she smiled gently at Edward, who was watching her from his seat intensely.

"Good morning." Edward smiled at her.

"What are you doing?" Bella asked, her own smile forming at the sight of Edward's.

"Watching you." Edward continued to beam.

"You don't have to do that anymore." Bella reminded him, leaning against the headboard of the bed, and casually draping her hands over her pregnant stomach. "Remember? No one is coming after me up here."

"Right." Edward grabbed the soul of his shoe that lay across his other leg. "But…" He was up in a flash, standing over Bella and still smiling. "I enjoy watching you."

"I feel like I should be creeped out by that…" Bella teased.

"Am I creepy?" Edward frowned, though it was easy to see he was joking.

Bella smiled back, never since she had gotten pregnant had anything felt as natural to her as talking and joking with Edward did. She hadn't realized how much she missed it until now. "No…you're not."

"Good." Edward sat down on the bed next to her, his smile fading as he turned to look at her. "Can I ask you something…serious?"

"Sure." Bella's brow furrowed, wondering what Edward was going to ask her.

"Are you…happy you came up here?" Edward questioned, then realized that it was stupid. How could she be happy if people were trying to rip her unborn child away from her. "I mean…do you feel good about being here?"

Bella nodded. "I feel safe." She rubbed her pregnant stomach as her child kicked. "I feel like the baby is safe and that is my whole reason for being here. I don't know what I would have done without your family." She reached out and touched Edward's cold hand.

"Bella…" Edward smiled at her, taking his other cold hand and laying it across hers. "You have always been the most important thing to me. Since the day I met you…you don't need to thank me for wanting to keep you safe."

"I just feel like I wasn't really…you shouldn't have been so eager to help me after the way I treated you when you got back." She looked down, avoiding eye contact with Edward.

Edward gently placed his hand under her chin, lifting her eyes to meet his. "You did nothing wrong. I was the one who left you, and for that, I will always be sorry."

Before Bella could say anything else, her stomach began to growl and her unborn child began to kick.

Bella giggled as Edward made a face at the noise coming from her stomach.

"I guess you are hungry?" Edward assumed, smiling affectionately.

"Both of us." Bella patted her pregnant stomach.

Edward nodded, effortlessly picking Bella up out of bed and placing her on her feed before helping her down the stairs to the kitchen where he would, like he had every morning since they had arrived in Canada, make her breakfast.

* * *

Jacob, Sam, Jared, and Paul sat on some dead logs on the edge of the reservation. They had just finished yet another patrol in hopes of finding Bella or the Cullen's, but again they had spotted no one of interest.

"This is getting repetitive." Jacob sighed. Now, his emotions were jumbled between angry and worried. He was concerned for both Bella and his child's safety, and the longer he stayed apart from her, the harder it was for him to be angry with her. A part of him believed if she came running out of the woods in that instant he would gather Bella in his arms and forgive her instantly. Yet, another part of him wanted nothing more than to take his child from her, to leave her with the vampires she had chosen over him and his baby.

"Well, what do you want to do?" Sam asked. He too, was getting annoyed with the fact that Bella was no where to be found. He knew, he was running out of time to get control over the situation.

"I don't think they are anywhere around here…not anymore." Jacob said. "The Cullen's must have taken Bella somewhere."

"We followed their scent out of town, as far as we could." Jared reminded the group.

"I know." Jacob recalled. "And I think that's our best lead. They definitely left town."

"So? Where do we start looking?" Paul asked, eagerly. He was ready to get in the Cullen's faces and show them what he was made of, especially Edward. Paul was still swore over the fact that Edward had hurt him a few weeks earlier.

"Well…they wouldn't have headed south…too much sun." Jacob deducted. "I think our best bet is north…maybe Canada?"

"You think they would run all the way to Canada?" Sam questioned.

"I think they would run farther if they felt the need." Jacob was being truthful. He knew the power Bella held over men, and how easily Edward would run her as far from Forks as he could.

"So we head to Canada then?" Sam deducted.

Jacob nodded. "I just want to go tell Charlie. He has a right to know where Bella is."

Sam nodded in agreement. After all, Charlie was still Bella's father. "Yes he does."

"I'll run and tell him now, and then we will get ready to get out of here." Jacob said, running off toward the Swan's house, Bella and his child consuming his thoughts as he ran. He just wanted Bella to come home with him, and Edward to leave them all alone. He decided he would give Bella that option. If, however, she refused to come with him then Jacob would take his child. He would not leave his kid to be brought up by vampires.

* * *

Edward and Bella sat on the sofa in the cozy living room of the Cullen's Canadian house as the fireplace burned brightly next to Bella, warming the pregnant girl as she cuddled close to Edward's stone cold body. Bella was watching an old movie, absentmindedly on TV, but Edward was watching Bella. He loved being this close to her, holding her in his arms, it felt right to him and in that moment he could forget the circumstances that had brought them together again, he could forget she was pregnant with another man's baby, in that moment she was his Bella, as she always had been.

Bella caught Edward starring at her and smiled, pushing away from him as best she could with her pregnant stomach so she could look him in the eye. "What are you looking at?"

"This beautiful girl sitting next to me." Edward smiled his crooked smile.

Bella blushed, but she was not embarrassed. She was grateful that after everything, Edward could still look at her that way. She knew it deep inside, she had never stopped loving him, and she never would. If anything, being with him now was only making her fall deeper. She just wasn't sure if things were too damaged between them to fix anything, and she wasn't sure what would become of Jacob if she did fix things with Edward. Despite Jacob's recent actions, Bella could not hurt him; she knew he was fueled by jealously and rage and she would not blame Jacob for that. How could she when she had caused the werewolf so much pain?

"Are you alright?" Edward broke Bella's train of thought.

Bella looked up to see Edward's face looking back at her, frustration written all over it. She knew it was because he could not read her thoughts, not understand what she was thinking. "Yes. Sorry." She smiled, snuggling her head into his shoulder and turning her attention back to the movie, her one hand rubbing circles on her five month pregnant stomach lazily slipped to Edward's thigh.

Edward smiled at Bella's touch, gently kissing the top of her head.

Suddenly, Alice burst into the living room, a smile on her face, she gracefully made her way to the chair next to the couch Bella and Edward sat on.

"You're in a good mood today, Bella." Alice noticed the smile on Bella's face.

Bella nodded, sitting up slightly and clicking the T.V. off. "I'm having a good day."

"Baby not bugging you?" Alice asked, remembering how Bella's mood seemed to depend on if the child inside of her was kicking or being calm.

"It's been good today." Bella patted her stomach, feeling a sudden kick and laughing. "Or it was…"

"What have you two been doing all day?" Alice looked between Edward and Bella, glad to see them together because she knew how happy it made Edward.

"Just…this." Edward nodded toward the television.

Suddenly Alice's brow furrowed and she stood, making her way to Edward and grabbing his cheeks, examining his face.

"Alice? What…are…you…doing?" Edward said, through a squished mouth.

"When was the last time you hunted, Edward?" Alice continued to examine her brother's eyes. They were black as night.

Edward jerked his jaw away from Alice, scrambling to find an answer to her question. "I…uh…I don't remember. Before we got here, I guess."

Bella turned to look at Edward. "Edward, that's too long."

"Especially around…" Alice nodded toward Bella. "You can't be so hungry around Bella."

Edward laughed at the comment. "Actually, she isn't a problem anymore."

Bella raised an eyebrow, somewhat hurt. "You don't…want me anymore?"

"You're_ blood_…" Edward corrected. "I don't want your blood…not right now. It smells too much like a wolves." He pointed to her pregnant stomach. "I can't get past its scent to your delectable scent."

Bella gave a small, nervous smile. "I guess that's a good thing."

Edward nodded, his smile never fading. "I would say so."

"Well, either way." Alice continued. "You shouldn't starve yourself…"

Edward shot a quick glance at Alice, his eyes pleading with her. He would hunt when he absolutely needed to, and not a moment sooner. He hated to miss any time with Bella. "I am fine."

"She is right, Edward." Bella spoke up, examining the beautiful vampire's face. "Your eyes are dark. You should hunt."

"Bella, I am fine." Edward patted her leg to assure her. "I won't hurt you."

"I never thought you would." Bella told him, truthfully. "I just don't want you starving yourself for no reason."

"It is with good reason." Edward told her.

"Edward, please?" Alice sat down on Bella's other side. "I can stay with Bella and you can go hunt with Emmett. He was looking for someone to go with."

Edward realized he would not win this battle, not with both Bella and Alice telling him to go hunt. The truth was, he was actually starving. He hadn't realized it until Alice had mentioned it. After a moment he stood. "Fine. I'll be back later." He smiled to Bella.

"Be safe." Bella called out as Edward left through the front door to find Emmett.

Once Edward was gone, Alice let out a sigh of relief. "I am glad he left. I thought he was going to starve himself."

"I didn't realize he hadn't eaten in so long." Bella spoke truthfully as she stretched her pregnant form out on the couch. The baby was starting to take a real toll on her, she was always tired. "I thought he would have gone at night."

"No." Alice seemed to laugh. "Especially not at night."

"Why?" Bella asked.

"Because he never wants to leave you alone, even when you are sleeping." Alice exposed her brother's secret. "He just likes to sit with you, watch you sleep…every night."

"Really?" Bella was surprised. She knew Edward always tucked her into bed and was there when she woke, but she was sure in the house she slept that he did something productive.

"Why are you so surprised?" Alice asked. "Edward adores you."

Bella blushed, but said nothing; instead she dropped her eyes to her swollen stomach.

"He always has." Alice continued. "He never stopped."

"I know." Bella said quietly, after a moment.

"And what do you think about that?" Alice asked, wanting nothing more than for Bella and Edward to stop the act they performed every day and just get back together.

"I love him." Bella was still looking down. "I always will. I could never stop."

"Then you need to sit with him and talk this whole thing out because I promise you, he feels the same way." Alice smiled in relief; glad Bella still loved Edward as much as she knew he loved Bella.

Bella shook her head and then looked up at Alice. "But…the baby." She placed a hand on her pregnant stomach. "I know it changes everything. It's a symbol of everything Edward doesn't like, everything Edward doesn't want to be a part of."

Before Alice could answer, Rosalie made her presence known as she gracefully descended the stairs and made her way through the living room. "Please…like Edward really cares." She stopped in front of Bella.

Bella was confused. "What?"

"You think Edward cares that it's a wolf?" Rosalie pointed to Bella's pregnant stomach. "It could be an elephant for all he would care. As long as you love it, he loves it."

Bella raised an eyebrow at Rosalie. The blonde vampire always confused Bella. She was always so blunt, but sometimes, Bella could have sworn Rosalie meant well by her words. This was one of those times.

"She is right." Alice chimed in with Rosalie. "Edward could never not love something that is part of you, including that baby." She pointed to Bella's protruding stomach.

"I don't know…" Bella shrugged. She wanted to believe Rosalie and Alice, but it just didn't make sense. She was only human. Why would Edward care so much for her?

"Trust us." Rosalie smiled as she made her way toward the kitchen. "We have known Edward a long time, and we know exactly what you mean to him."

Bella turned to Alice as Rosalie exited the room. "What does she mean by that?"

"She means that he has made you his entire world, and that includes every part of you. You are all he cares about." Alice looked down at Bella's stomach. "You two just need to talk."

Bella nodded slowly, the idea of actually sitting with Edward and talking to him making her feel slightly nauseous. If Alice and Rosalie were right, Bella knew she would ecstatic, but if they were not, she knew she could not handle Edward rejecting her yet again.

* * *

Edward was ahead of Emmett as they chased the herd of deer. In a flash of a second, he had taken one down, sucking its blood dry. A few seconds later, Emmett too had killed a deer and joined his brother, eating in silence. This went on until the boys were both satisfied

Emmett burped, patting his stomach and throwing himself to the ground, stretching his muscular body out in the grass. "I'm full."

"And disgusting." Edward added.

Emmett shrugged, punching Edward gently. "Who cares? Who am I trying to look civil in front of?" He motioned around. "No one out here but you and me."

Edward nodded, taking a seat next to Emmett. "That's true."

"I am glad to see you out hunting again." Emmett looked at Edward. "I know it's been awhile since you have eaten."

Edward nodded. Emmett spoke the truth, and Edward was actually glad he had gone out, he had not realized how hungry he was until he tasted the first drop of deer's blood.

"I mean…I personally wasn't worried about you hurting Bella. I know you never would…" Emmett started.

"Someone was worried I would hurt Bella?" Edward cut Emmett off, not liking the accusation.

Emmett shrugged. "Carlisle and Esme just thought it would be best if you ate…you know…once in awhile?"

"I would never attack Bella." Edward said, ripping some grass out of the ground. "Besides, with the werewolf fetus inside of her…she doesn't smell too appetizing."

"Tell me about it." Emmett rolled his eyes and nodded in agreement. "She stinks."

"She doesn't." Edward glanced defensively at Emmett. "She can't help it. It's the baby…"

"Right…the spawn from hell…" Emmett laughed at his own comment.

Edward narrowed his eyes at his brother. "Bella's baby is not a spawn."

"Edward, come on." Emmett realized his brother was not finding his comments amusing. "It's a werewolf in there, how can you not just want to rip it out of her?"

"Because she loves it." Edward said simply. "And so…it must be good then."

"It's good because Bella loves it?" Emmett deducted.

"Yes." Edward gazed off into the trees that surrounded them.

"This is getting twisted." Emmett shook his head.

"What is?" Edward turned his attention back to his brother.

"This." Emmett pointed to Edward as he stood. "You…and the way you act…about this whole Bella thing."

"What are you talking about?" Edward looked up from his seat on the ground.

"You love her." Emmett said, more as a fact then a question. "And she is living here with us…with no one else around…this is your chance to fix this whole thing and get her back."

"It's not that simple." Edward sighed.

"It can be." Emmett told Edward. "You just need to tell her exactly how you feel. No more dancing around it like a pansy."

"I really hurt her, Emmett." Edward shook his head.

"And she hurt you." Emmett reminded him.

"Rightfully so." Edward replied.

"Okay, so you're even then." Emmett shrugged. "Score is back at zero, you two are on the same page."

"I just don't want to push her." Edward said, honestly. "I don't want to take advantage of her emotions right now when she has so much going on. I want her to come back to me because she wants to, not because she sees no other options."

Emmett rolled his eyes. "You are so thick-headed. She loves you, you love her. I don't see a problem. Just grow a pair and tell her the truth."

Edward couldn't help the small smile that crept over his lips at Emmett's honesty. "Maybe…"

"Forget it!" Emmett just shook his head. "Let's just head home."

Edward nodded, following Emmett back to their home, but all the while thinking about his brother's words. Maybe Emmett was right, maybe he should just be honest with Bella, at least then he would know the truth.

* * *

Jacob made his way up the steps to the Swan residence. Charlie's cruiser was in the driveway, so Jacob knew he was home before he swung the door opened.

"Charlie, I was just going to knock." Jacob smiled.

Charlie just nodded, his face distraught. It was easy to see that he had been very stressed out, his eyes tired. Jacob immediately felt bad for Charlie; he knew the chief just missed his pregnant daughter.

"Can I come in?" Jacob asked.

"Sure." Charlie mumbled, stepping aside and letting Jacob in.

Jacob took a seat in the kitchen, and Charlie leaned against the sink, grabbing a mug of coffee and folding his arms across his chest. "I am going to take it you have no good news for me?"

"Sorry." Jacob shook his head. "We have been looking, but…its like Bella doesn't want to be found."

Charlie nodded. "I know. I sent things out to the local towns about the Cullen's too…but got no response." He chuckled. "Not that it would matter, she is eighteen and left a note…she is really free to do whatever she wants."

"I will find her, Charlie." Jacob said. "She may be able to make her own decisions, but my baby…I want to be a part of its life."

"And by all means you should be." Charlie agreed. "Hopefully Bella will get her head on straight and realize she belongs back here…with you."

"Hopefully." Jacob agreed. "But that Cullen…"

"I know, I know." Charlie nodded. "That Edward boy has always had a hold on her…it isn't healthy."

"Well hopefully for not much longer." Jacob started, clearing his throat. "I have a feeling…they may have gone north. I think we are going to check it out."

"North?" Charlie raised an eyebrow. "As in Canada?"

"Yeah." Jacob nodded.

Charlie chuckled a bit. "Bella hates the cold. I doubt she would let them take her north."

"It's just a hunch, but we are still going to check it out." Jacob stood.

"Okay." Charlie nodded. "Do you want me to come or…"

"No. No, I think you should stay here. In case Bella comes back." Jacob said, although in truth, the only reason he didn't want Charlie to come was because the pack would not be able to work as wolves with him around.

"Okay." Charlie nodded, walking Jacob to the door. "And Jake?"

"Yeah?" Jacob turned as he opened the front door.

"Thanks…for all this." Charlie nodded. "You don't have to do this."

"Yes I do." Jacob told Charlie. "It's still my baby out there, and its…its Bella."

Charlie nodded again as he watched Jacob run off from his house, toward Sam, Jared, and Paul who were standing in the street, waiting for Jacob. Charlie felt bad for Jacob, after all that he had done for Bella, Charlie had no idea how she could hurt him so badly. More so, Charlie had no idea why Bella would run off with Edward, after the way he had hurt her, Charlie could not comprehend why she would put herself in the same position, especially not now, when she was carrying Jacob's child.

* * *

Edward climbed the grand staircase of their Canadian home, turning to the right at the top and silently making his way into his bedroom. He opened the door, to see the dark curtains drawn and Bella, curled up in his bed, her stomach distended under the sheets, with the light on the bed stand on and a book in her hand. She glanced up when Edward entered, smiling at him.

"You're back." Bella continued to smile.

Edward gave a crooked smile back before making his way to the bed, sitting gracefully down next to Bella. "I am."

"You look better." Bella noticed Edward's eyes were golden again.

Edward stifled a laugh. "Better?"

"I mean…less hungry." Bella corrected herself, glancing back down at her book in embarrassment.

"I know what you meant." Edward patted Bella's leg. "What are you reading?"

"A baby name book." Bella replied.

Edward nodded, it made sense; she would be having a baby in four months. Still, sometimes Edward forgot she was pregnant, and those were the best times, because then he forgot how Jacob had touched her in ways he never could. "Anything you like?"

Bella shrugged. "It's not as easy as I thought it would be. I hate making decisions on my own." For a brief second, Bella's thoughts drifted to Jacob. He should, if the world turned correctly, have been there with her, picking names out for their child. But that wasn't how it worked. Jacob would never accept any choice Bella made unless it involved her staying with him and making a home for their child. Bella knew now, that as much as she loved Jacob, she could never be with him because it wasn't fair to him. She loved Edward, she always would, and she would rather be alone then living a lie with Jacob.

"Well, I am sure you will find something you like." Edward said, debating if he should leave the room and give Bella some time alone to read her book. He couldn't help but feel a little uncomfortable watching her pick names out for her child with Jacob.

"Do you have any?" Bella asked quickly glancing up at Edward before blushing and turning her attention back to her book.

Edward was caught off guard. "Uh…what? Any What?"

"Names?" Bella glanced up over the edge of her book, trying to ask nonchalantly, but secretly dying to know Edward's thoughts on the matter. The truth was, she had never dreamed of having a family, but if one day she managed one, she assumed it would be with Edward; even if they just adopted a few kids.

Edward shrugged, looking down at Bella's pregnant belly as he spoke. "For a girl, I have no idea. But for a boy…I mean…when I was human I just always assumed I would name my son…if I had a son…after me." He looked up at Bella. "it was just a common practice in my day."

"Right." Bella ran her hand through her hair. "Well, Edward…that's a great name…"

Edward smiled at Bella, hiding his teeth behind his lips. "It's an old name."

"I like it." Bella said, more sincerely then last time.

"Well, I wouldn't recommend it." Edward patted her leg again. "Jacob would probably get pretty mad…"

Bella shrugged. "I don't know how much his opinion is going to weigh…"

"Bella…I am sure once the baby is born, Jacob will calm down and realize he was lied to and then you guys can just be happy together." Edward tried not to choke on his own words as he pretended to be happy for Bella.

"I don't think so." Bella said. "Not after how he acted. If I let him in this babies life, I won't ever get it back."

"Bella, he won't steal the kid." Edward told her. "He will realize just how great of a mother you are and be begging to have you back."

Bella smiled and shook her head. "I might be a terrible mom."

"Impossible." Edward gracefully flipped himself over Bella, avoiding her stomach, and landing on the pillow next to her.

Bella giggled slightly. "Why is that impossible?"

"Because you're you." Edward smiled. "And you, Bella Swan, are incredible. When you love someone, you love them with your whole heart, and you love that baby, so you won't do anything short but the best for it."

"How do you know that?" Bella asked.

"Because…" Edward's smile faded as he looked at his hands. "Because…you loved me once."

"Edward…" Bella whispered, her smile fading as well.

Edward shook his head, his facial expression sad. "I am just sorry I dragged you into all of this. If I had never done it, you would have never been so upset…you wouldn't have slept with Jacob, and you wouldn't be in this situation right now."

"So that's why you're worried about me right now?" Bella asked. "Because you feel responsible for this?" She motioned to her pregnant stomach.

"I feel responsible for everything bad that has ever happened to you." Edward continued to look at his hands.

"Edward…" Bella grabbed his hands, forcing him to look over at her. "This…this baby is not a bad thing." Bella rubbed her baby bump with her free hand for emphasis. "At first, yes, I thought it was…but I love this baby…this baby kept me alive when you were gone. It gave me a reason to live, and take care of myself…because I was caring for it. It saved me."

"Like I couldn't…" Edward glanced at her stomach to avoid her eyes.

"Edward…" Bella rubbed his hand across his ice cold cheek. "None of this…none of what has happened to me is your fault. This is my own mess, and I have to handle it…even if it means I raise this baby alone."

"You're not alone, Bella." Edward looked up at her now, removing her hand from his cheek so that he could hold it. "I will never leave you alone again. It doesn't matter if you love me or not…I just…I will always be here for you."

Bella felt the tears swell in her eyes and blamed them on her hormones. "Edward…this isn't your mess."

"You've always been my mess, Bella." Edward smiled his crooked smile, gracefully wiping the tears from her eyes in once motion.

Bella stopped his hand, and held it to her cheek, gently bending in toward him. Every inch of her body told her it felt right being so close to him. She missed the feeling of her bodies overwhelming response and surrender to Edward Cullen. Before she knew it, Bella felt her lips collide with Edward's cold ones, and her body ran rapid with goose bumps, but she loved that feeling and loved even more the simple fact that Edward immediately responded to her, pulling her in closer to him, as if he had waited a lifetime to kiss her. Kissing Edward felt right. Kissing Edward made her feel alive again.


	16. I Missed That

Disclaimer: All characters and things associated with The Twilight Saga belong to Stephanie Meyers. This writing is for pure entertainment only.

Summary: Set during New Moon. After Edward leaves, Bella is miserable and Jacob is there for her until things go too far between them, leaving Bella in an unexpected condition. When Edward returns how will Bella explain her situation to him? B/E B/J pairings

**Chapter 16**

Bella waddled around Edward's room, trying her best to tidy it up while he was out running with Emmett. She felt bad, since she had been the cause of most of the mess in the room, with her clothes and hair supplies all over. Still, cleaning was not as easy as she had anticipated, her huge stomach getting in the way.

Bella sighed, easing herself into the chair at Edward's desk to take a break. She absentmindedly rubbed her hands over her growing belly, her thoughts drifting to Edward. Since the night of their kiss, almost a week ago, the two had rarely spoken. Bella couldn't tell if it was because Edward felt awkward or because kissing her made him realize he didn't love her anymore.

Bella was beginning to think it was the second of the two. After all, why would Edward love her? She was fat and ugly with another man's baby, and not just any man's but his mortal enemies. Bella wouldn't blame him for wanting nothing to do with her.

A knock on half-opened door broke Bella's attention. She turned to see Esme sticking her head in.

"Bella? Are you busy?" Esme asked, sweetly.

Bella shook her head. "I was just trying to clean up before Edward got back."

"That's silly." Esme came into the room, sitting on the bed across from the chair Bella was in. "You shouldn't be up and cleaning. I would have helped."

"It's really okay, Esme." Bella patted her pregnant stomach, receiving a kick back from her baby. "We didn't get too far with this one anyway."

"Well, less than four months and you will be back to normal." Esme commented.

"I hope." Bella looked at her stomach, unable to wrap her mind around how big her bump was. She was beginning to doubt she would ever lose the weight.

"You will. Trust me, running around after a baby…you will be back in shape in no time." Esme smiled at her.

"Thanks, Esme." Bella nodded, giving a tight lipped smile.

"What's really wrong?" Esme asked. "I can tell something is bothering you, and more so…I can tell something has been bugging Edward."

Bella shrugged, looking down at her hands. "I don't know. He hasn't talked to me much…in the past few days."

"Do you know why?" Esme asked. In truth, she had come to talk to Bella because Edward had told her all about the kiss he had shared with Bella and how things had gotten awkward between the pair, something he never wanted.

"We…uh…we kissed…once…like a week ago." Bella continued to look at her hands, trying to sound casual.

"Oh." Esme nodded, trying to sound surprised. "And now you don't want to talk to him?"

"No." Bella answered quickly, looking up at Esme. "No, that's not it at all. I want to talk to him…I don't want things to be weird between us…he just hasn't said anything to me."

"Have you said anything to him?" Esme asked.

Bella shook her head, fighting the tears that threatened her eyes. "I wouldn't know what to say to him. I…I don't want him to feel like he has no choice now because he kissed me. If he doesn't want to be with me, I get that…I just don't…I don't want to lose his friendship is all."

Esme couldn't help but smile. "Bella…Edward doesn't want to be your friend…"

"Oh…" Bella felt a tear slip out as Esme's words crushed her.

"Because…he loves you. He wants to be more than your friend." Esme finished her thought.

"Oh." Bella wiped the tear up, relieved to hear the end of Esme's statement.

"I think he is worried as to what you want." Esme continued. "He knows he hurt you before…and Edward doesn't have much experience with these types of things…"

"Did he talk to you?" Bella had to ask, feeling as though Esme knew more about how Edward was feeling about the situation than anyone else.

"Maybe a little." Esme smiled. "He wanted some woman advice."

Bella laughed, nodding. "Well I am glad he asked you and not Alice or Rosalie. I wouldn't have heard the end of it from Alice and Rose…well…"

"Rosalie doesn't mean to be so harsh, Bella. It's just how she has always been…she has her reasons." Esme thought of the life Rosalie had before she had become a vampire, and the circumstances that led to Carlisle changing her.

Bella nodded, she didn't understand but she would accept Esme's word on the subject of Rosalie.

"But back to Edward…" Esme continued. "I think you two just need to sit and talk this out. If you love him…"

"I do." Bella said, without question. It was a fact, she knew she loved Edward.

"Well, he loves you too, so just talk to him. See if you can't work this whole thing out." Esme stood. "You two have plenty of time to do it here."

Bella smiled, nodding, wiping up the last of her tears. "That's true."

"Good." Esme gently kissed Bella's head, as a mother would kiss her child. "I'll be downstairs if you need anything."

"Thanks." Bella smiled at Esme. "For everything…for coming to talk to me."

"It's a mother thing..." Esme explained. "I don't like to see any of my kids upset…especially not Edward. You will understand soon enough."

Bella smiled back, nodding, her eyes falling to her hump of a stomach, and her thoughts drifting to the baby inside of her, the baby she could not wait to meet, the baby she loved more than life.

* * *

Jacob and the rest of the pack settled into the camp they had set up with a tent and a small fire. They had been in the woods of Canada for about a week and still had not caught any scent or trail of Bella or the Cullen's and were beginning to get on edge.

"How much longer are we going to stay up here?" Paul asked, joining the rest of the pack around the fire.

"As long as it takes to find Bella." Jacob answered.

"We don't even know if she is up here." Jared reminded them.

"She is." Jacob said. "I just…have a feeling."

"Well your feeling better prove right soon." Paul said. "I just want to get Bella and get out of here."

"Well…that is the general plan." Jacob answered back, annoyed with Paul's attitude.

"Alright, enough." Sam commanded, having a feeling that things could get ugly.

"Yeah…enough. Enough playing nice." Paul said. "The faster we get Bella, the faster we get her back and can keep an eye on her until that kid is born…then…" Paul snapped a twig for emphasis on what was going to happen to Bella.

"What are you talking about?" Jacob didn't like Paul's display.

Paul looked at Sam, who had no expression on his face and then turned back to Jacob. "Bella can't live. We were never going to let her."

"What?" Jacob was alarmed suddenly, all of the memories of what Bella had said to him that day at the Cullen's returning.

"Bella is a threat. She knows too much and she isn't your imprint. It will only make things complicated." Sam explained. "We can't allow her to live."

"And we are glad you don't like her anymore." Jared added, smiling at Jacob. "That way…no hard feelings when we have to take her out, right?"

Jacob was numb, but gave a small smile back, knowing he had to play along with the game. "Right…"

"You didn't want her raising your kid anyway." Paul told Jacob. "She would have just got it mixed up with those vampires…you will do a better job on your own with it."

"Right." Jacob laughed a fake laugh back, though no one knew it up but him. He knew now, that Bella had not been lying to him, that the pack had in fact, wanted her dead. Jacob realized now that the biggest threat to his child and Bella was not Edward and his family, but rather his own pack; he was stuck at a crossroads, and Jacob Black had no idea what to do.

* * *

Edward and Emmett came back from their run in the woods and entered into the livingroom to find Rosalie sitting on the couch with a magazine.

"Hey baby." Emmett bent down and kissed Rosalie.

"How was the run?" Rosalie looked up at Emmett and Edward.

"Good." Emmett responded.

"Yeah." Edward agreed. "It was nice to get outside for a little."

"Well, you have been cooped up inside the past few weeks." Rosalie commented, turning her attention back to her book.

"Edward?" Bella's voice rang from his room.

"And there is your little time consumer now." Rosalie smirked.

"Shut it, Rosalie…" Edward then began moving toward the stairs. "Yeah, Bella?"

"Can you come up here?" Bella called.

"Sure." Edward said, sprinting up the stairs and arriving in front of Bella who was lying on Edward's bed in less than two seconds.

"That was fast." Bella smiled at Edward, sitting up and pulling her t-shirt down to cover her protruding stomach.

Edward just smile at her, sitting down next to her. "Did you need anything?"

"Yeah…actually." Bella looked down at her finger nails, and then back up at Edward. "I wanted to talk to you."

"Okay…" Edward nodded slowly.

"It's just…well…things have been strange between us…since we….you know, kissed…" Bella looked down at her pregnant stomach. "And, I don't want that. I don't want you to feel weird around me…"

"I…I don't." Edward told her, although he knew what she was talking about. He had avoided her much of the time since the kiss because he didn't want to overwhelm her or make her feel like he was pushing her into anything, not in the condition she was in.

"Well then why have you been ignoring me?" Bella looked up, tears in her eyes.

Edward's unbeating heart broke for Bella in that instant. He hated to see her crying like that. "I…I just didn't want you to think I was pushing you."

"Pushing me?" Bella seemed confused.

"You know…pushing you to be with me." Edward admitted. "I just didn't want to add stress to you with the baby…" He motioned to her stomach. "Because that is the last thing you need."

"Edward, I love you." Bella confessed. "I never stopped loving you…and I don't want to have to pretend I don't want you anymore because I do. I've always wanted you…but if you can't handle me or this baby, I understand that…but you need to tell me, so I know…I need to know…" She was ranting.

"Shh…Bella." Edward silenced her in an instant, touching his cold and to her warm lips. "Bella, I have never loved something as much as I love you. And this baby…" He placed a hand on her bump and it sent chills up her spin, but not bad chills, good chills, the kind she loved. "This baby is going to be prefect because it is part of you, and any part of you I love…so its not about being able to handle this baby or tolerate this baby." He did not move his hand from her stomach. "Its about you and if you want me to be in this baby's life…in your life…that's where I want to be. That's where I have always wanted to be."

"Then why aren't you kissing me?" Bella breathed.

"Because…" Edward's eyes were sad. "I am not sure this is what you really want." He removed his finger from her lips and his hand from her stomach, slumping his shoulders over as if defeated.

Bella looked at the damaged angel sitting next to her in disbelief. "Why would you think that?"

"What if you're just confused, Bella?" Edward looked up at her. "What if you think you want me now because you are scared to be alone?"

"The only thing I have ever been scared of is losing you." Bella leaned closer to him, struggling and managing to make her way behind him on the bed, wrapping her arms around his slumped shoulders and leaning her chin on his shoulder. "And I have already lost you once…I don't want to ever go through that again."

Edward looked at Bella, wanting to believe her so badly. "Bella…"

"Edward, please." She placed her hands on his cheeks so that he was forced to look at her. "Trust me, okay? Trust me when I say I love you, I have always loved you."

Bella nodded, unable to suppress his desires any longer, he moved in swiftly, kissing her as gently as he could, so he did not hurt her.

Bella responded by pulled Edward up closer as she leaned down into his bed.

Edward continued to kiss her, carefully avoiding her stomach so he did not hurt the child inside. Instead he slide her up on the bed and kissed her lips gently, before pulling away and sitting next to her.

"Wow." Bella held her forehead, catching her breath and smiling at him. "I missed that."

Edward smiled back at her, the woman he loved. "Well you don't ever have to miss it again."

Bella continued to smile as she nuzzled her pregnant body up close to Edward's cold one, while feeling her baby kick in excitement. Apparently, even Jacob's offspring did not mind Edward.

* * *

Jacob could not sleep like the rest of his pack. Too many things were going through his mind. He could not believe that his pack had been lying to him all along, and he could not believe he had not picked up on it sooner. He blamed his rage for the blindness toward the truth he had been having the past few weeks.

Jacob knew now, he needed to find Bella and warn her before anyone else could get to her. He knew he had screwed so many things up with her, things they would never be able to fix, and he knew where her heart really was; with Edward. Jacob had always known that, he had just wished it to not be true. Still, Jacob also knew he was the father of Bella's child, and he owed it to both her and his child to keep them safe.

So Jacob left the tent where the rest of the pack was sleeping and took off into the woods, desperate to find any trail of Edward, Bella, or any of the Cullen's. He transformed into his wolf form and he ran for three hours, his heart breaking and his mind racing with every step he took.

Finally, Jacob stopped running, transforming back to his human form and grabbing the clothes he had taken with him, he changed quickly and sat next to a tree. He had failed Bella and his unborn child. He had led a pack of ravenous werewolves after them and now he could not even warn them.

"How stupid am I?" Jacob laughed bitterly to himself.

Suddenly, the wind shifted directions and Jacob's sweet lungs filled with the scent of Cullen's, at least two of them. Jacob stood, sniffing again, and realizing it was Edward and Emmett's familiar scent that hit him. The scent was fading but still there, and Jacob realized the two of them must have been through those parts earlier that day. He quickly took off in the direction of the scent, knowing if he got to Bella before the rest of his pack, he would apologize for all he said and warn her about what was coming. It was the least he could do.

* * *

Bella and Edward descended the stairs hand-in-hand to be greeted by the rest of the Cullen family smiling up at the couple.

"I take it you heard us talking?" Edward read his family's thoughts.

"Sorry." Emmett laughed. "It's just…we were so sick of watching you mope around here."

Bella giggled, looking at Edward.

Edward rolled his eyes leaning into Bella. "I wasn't moping."

"Oh…you were a mope." Jasper agreed.

"So its official then?" Alice clapped her hands in front of her mouth. "You two are back together."

Bella smiled, nodding as she looked at her stomach then back up at Alice. "Yes."

"Finally." Rosalie tried to sound disinterested, but couldn't hide her smile. She was glad to see Edward was back in a good mood.

"Rosalie…" Carlisle interpreted his daughter's behavior as rude.

Edward knew better, reading his sisters mind and knowing she was happy for him. "No…Carlisle…" Edward turned to Rosalie. "Thanks."

Rosalie nodded, knowing Edward had read her mind. "No problem."

"Well…we are so glad this worked out for you two." Esme moved, hugging Bella and kissing the pregnant girl on the head. "Thanks for talking to him." She whispered into Bella's ear.

Edward heard Esme but decided to not embarrass Bella by calling Esme out on the conversation he knew the two had while he was out with Emmett.

"Well…I just want to thank you all." Bella said when Esme released her; she was blushing a little. "It means a lot…that after everything…you would all…help me like you have."

"You're a part of this family now, Bella." Carlisle told her as Esme rejoined his side. "And we take care of family."

"Still…thank you." Bella said sincerely.

"Enough with the thanking." Alice seemed to sing as she glided up next to Bella, gracefully wrapping her arms around the pregnant girl. "We have _so_ much shopping to do before this baby comes!!"

"Um…Alice…" Edward started, seeing as how Bella's eyes grew as big as saucers when Alice mentioned shopping. Edward knew Bella hated shopping.

"Don't even start, Edward." Bella turned to her brother. "We have zero in the house for a baby…we _need_ to go shopping."

Edward shrugged at Bella and mouthed an "I'm sorry".

"Well, Alice…why don't we worry about that tomorrow?" Esme intercepted Bella, and led the pregnant girl to the couch, next to Rosalie.

"Well, the truth is…even if I am with Edward, this baby isn't anyone's problem but mine." Bella said. "I don't want you guys to feel like you owe me anything, I get it's a werewolf and that's not exactly ideal…" She looked at her pregnant stomach.

"That doesn't matter, sweetie." Esme told her.

"I told her that." Edward said, digging his hands into his pockets.

"Yeah, I know you're okay with it, Edward but…" She turned her attention to the rest of the Cullen's. "That doesn't mean you all need to be okay with it."

"Well it doesn't matter to Esme or myself." Carlisle spoke. "And I am sure it doesn't matter to the rest of the family either…" He glanced around.

Jasper, Alice, and Emmett all shook her heads in unison, indicating they did not care either, which forced Bella to look at the one person who had not said a word, Rosalie.

Rosalie slowly looked up from her magazine and shrugged. "It could be good for the kid…being around vampires instead of werewolves."

Bella let out a breath or relief and Edward stifled a laugh, glad Rosalie was acting to mature about the situation. In truth, Edward had not thought Rosalie would be bothered by it at all. He had always known that she had wanted to be a mother, and he realized she knew this was her closest chance to being one.

"Yeah!" Emmett was enthused. "Plus…maybe we can get it to fight and use it to take werewolves out…you know like a good cop-bad cop thing!"

"Emmett…my child will not be a decoy." Bella placed her hand protectively around her hump of a stomach.

"Relax." Rosalie leaned toward Bella. "His mind wanders…he will forget he thought that in about ten minutes." She stood, moving toward Emmett.

Edward smiled, and took a seat next to Bella, kissing her gently on the ear. "See? I told you this is going to work out…"

A knock on the door, broke the beautiful family moment.

"I'll get it." Jasper moved to the front door, opening it and stepping back in shock as too who was there.

"Is Bella here?" Jacob asked a shocked Jasper.

Edward, upon hearing Jacob's voice stood, creating a blockade between Bella and Jacob. Alice moved, gathering Bella up and moving to the corner of the room with Esme on the other side of Bella and Rosalie crouched down in front, ready to lunge if Jacob made a move while Emmett and Carlisle moved toward the door, ready to send Jacob right out the door he was trying to get through.

"You are not welcome here, Jacob." Carlisle spoke.

"I just…I need to see her…just for a second…" Jacob pleaded.

Bella could hear the desperation in Jacob's voice and closed her eyes, wishing he would just go away, as the child inside of her seemed to kick hard at the sound of its fathers voice. Immediately, Bella grabbed her stomach in pain.

"Bella? Are you okay?" Edward was concerned, but did not move from his position, just in case Jacob was able to get through Emmett, Carlisle, and Jasper.

"Fine." Bella nodded as the baby calmed down after a moment.

"I suggest you leave." Emmett told Jacob.

"Please…." Jacob pleaded his mind racing with all the reasons why he needed to speak to Bella. He hoped Edward was listening to him, understanding that he was not there to hurt Bella but rather to warn them all.

Lucky for Jacob, Edward was listening and slowly stepped forward, moving between Carlisle, Jasper, and Emmett so he could stand face to face with Jacob. "You've come to warn us?"

"Yes." Jacob nodded fiercely.

"You won't hurt her." Edward said as more of a statement then a question.

"No. I…I'm not here to hurt anyone." Jacob spoke truthfully.

Edward nodded, stepping aside to let Jacob into the house.


	17. Do We Have a Plan?

Disclaimer: All characters and things associated with The Twilight Saga belong to Stephanie Meyers. This writing is for pure entertainment only.

Summary: Set during New Moon. After Edward leaves, Bella is miserable and Jacob is there for her until things go too far between them, leaving Bella in an unexpected condition. When Edward returns how will Bella explain her situation to him? B/E B/J pairings

**Chapter 17**

Jacob stood in the living room of the Cullen's Canadian home, surrounded by Emmett, Jasper, Carlisle, and Edward. They had allowed him into the living room, but would not give him a clear shot at Bella, who was still standing in the corner of the room, her pregnant form surrounded by Esme, Alice, and Rosalie, incase his intensions were not true.

"What is the warning Jacob?" Edward asked calmly.

"You already know it." Jacob knew Edward was reading his mind.

"Yes, but you must speak it out loud…so everyone can hear." Edward was still very calm.

Jacob nodded. "Fine…I came up here to warn you…the pack is close. We came up here looking for Bella." Jacob looked to Bella, noticing she was even more pregnant then last time he had seen her. "I'm sorry. I know what they wanted with you now…I know you didn't lie to me."

"So if you know she isn't a liar why are you up here hunting her down?" Emmett asked.

"I know now…I didn't before. I just found out." Jacob turned to Edward. "They want her dead…" He shook his head. "I don't understand it but…they do. She needs to get out of here."

Edward nodded, looking to Carlisle for an answer.

"We could head to Alaska…" Carlisle suggested.

"She just needs to get away from here." Jacob said. "And I can't help…not when it's my fault the pack is here in the first place…" He looked down.

Bella's heart broke for Jacob, as she knew his words were true. He knew the truth now, and it was killing him.

"May I…have a moment alone with Jacob?" Bella spoke up, trying to move forward.

Esme, Alice, and Rosalie held her back however, all looking at Edward too see if Jacob was safe.

"It's fine." Edward told his sisters and mother.

"Are you sure the mutt isn't going to lose it the second we go away?" Rosalie asked, snarling at Jacob.

"Wow…now your defending Bella?" Jacob pretended to be shocked, knowing how rude Rosalie could be to Bella. "Is this like an alternate dimension or something?"

Emmett snickered at Jacob's comment causing Rosalie to huff off, angry.

"Babe…" Emmett chased after his wife.

"Come on, everyone." Edward remained calm, causing everyone else to be calm. "Let's go in the kitchen to discuss our next move." He moved, kissing Bella gently on the head and leaning down toward her ear. "I will be in the other room…not more than a second away if you need me." He whispered.

"Thanks." Bella whispered back.

Edward nodded and then led the rest of his family into the kitchen, leaving a pregnant Bella alone in the living room with the father of her unborn child.

* * *

Sam woke up, glancing around the tent he noticed only two other bodies which meant someone was missing and he knew exactly who it was. He quickly leapt out of the tent and into their small campsite. The sun was just starting to rise, but there was no sign of Jacob.

"Damn it." Sam muttered.

"What is it?" Paul's voice came from behind him.

Sam turned to see Paul stretching out in front of the tent. "Jacob is missing."

"Missing?" Paul raised an eyebrow.

"Well…not here." Sam sighed.

"Where is he then?" Paul asked.

Sam shrugged. "I just hope he didn't run off to find Bella."

"Who cares? It may save us some work if he does." Paul rubbed his eyes.

"He just didn't seem like himself last night…" Sam recalled. "Not after when you told him we wanted Bella dead."

"He seemed fine." Paul said. "You're just reading into it too much. He doesn't want Bella anymore, he wants what we want…to get his kid away from her."

"Shut up out there! I am trying to sleep!" Jared's voice came from inside the tent.

"I think you just need to relax." Paul moved to start a fire and get breakfast cooking. "Jacob could just be out for a run. I am sure he will be back soon."

"We will see." Sam nodded slightly, taking a seat next to Paul and waiting for the fire to start. If Jacob wasn't back before noon, Sam decided they were going to look for him. It wasn't that he did not trust Jacob, he just had to be certain Jacob wouldn't turn n them; not when they were that close to destroying Bella.

* * *

Edward, Carlisle, Rosalie, Esme, Emmett, Alice, and Jasper all stood in the kitchen, close enough to reach Bella if needed, but far enough away to give her the privacy she had requested with Jacob.

"Do you think she is safe in there?" Alice pointed back to the living room as she spoke of Bella.

Edward nodded. "I read his mind. He spoke the truth. He came only as a warning…he is not here to hurt Bella."

"We will hear her if anything happens, anyway." Emmett added, ready to pounce on the werewolf in the other room if needed.

Edward nodded and then turned to Carlisle. "We need to figure out where we are going to take Bella. She can't stay here any longer."

"I thought Alaska but…it just seems like a rather big risk if Jacob is right about the wolves heading north." Carlisle said.

"That is what I am afraid of." Edward sighed, running a hand through his tossled hair.

"What about going back to Forks?" Rosalie suggested.

"Rosalie…" Edward rolled his eyes. "Do you want Bella killed instantly? How stupid can you be?"

"Now hold on there, Edward." Carlisle cut him off. "Rosalie may have a point. With the wolves up here, Forks is the last place they will head back to if they don't find her. They may just keep searching up here."

"Plus, Charlie is back in Forks." Esme added. "He will help keep Bella safe."

"He will keep her away from me." Edward sighed, knowing Charlie would not forgive him for running away with the chief's pregnant daughter.

"Yes, but the pack won't cross a line with Charlie…so if Bella is grounded she is safe." Carlisle added, agreeing with Esme.

Edward shrugged. "Even if we go back to Forks, it will only be temporary…the wolves will return."

"Maybe Bella will have already given birth by then." Jasper said, hopeful.

"Even if she did it doesn't matter." Edward sighed. "The wolves want that baby and they want her dead. Neither her or that child will be safe until the pack is destroyed."

"Then that is what we do!" Emmett was excited about the prospect of killing some werewolves. "Take the dogs out!"

"It will still be a danger to Bella and the child…" Edward ran his hands over his face, aware if he could sleep he would be tired.

"But once the baby is born it will be easier to move her around and keep her and her child safe." Alice said. "All we have to do is make sure Bella is safe until she gives birth…then we can go after the pack."

"Take the offense." Emmett grinned, nudging Alice. "I like that plan."

"So then we head back to Forks?" Rosalie smiled, glad her plan was the one chosen.

Carlisle glanced at Edward. "Whatever you think is best, son. You know Bella better then all of us."

"She will want to go home, see Charlie…she will feel safe there." Edward said. "And once the baby is born I will leave with her, keep her hidden and safe…until the wolves are destroyed."

"No problem there." Emmett was ready for a fight.

"Until then, however, we must make a pact, as a family…Bella is one of us now, and we must keep her safe." Carlisle told the rest of the Cullen's. "So we must all agree to do all we can for Bella and the child. If one of us does not want to help they must speak now."

No one, not even Rosalie, said a word. The silence made it clear, the Cullen's were unanimously in favor of keeping Bella and her unborn child safe.

"Very well then." Carlisle nodded. "We will pack and leave for Forks in a few short hours."

Everyone nodded, heading to their perspective rooms to gather their belongings and get ready for their journey back to Forks as well as the long four months ahead of them in which they were all obligated to keep Bella and her child out of harms way.

* * *

Bella gently eased her pregnant frame onto the couch in the Cullen's living room, while Jacob sat on the couch across from her. He did not want to make her feel uncomfortable or threatened so he figured a couch away from her was a safe distance. He had no idea what she wanted to talk to him about alone.

"I'm sorry this all had to happen this way."Bella said, looking down at her pregnant stomach.

"No…" Jacob shook his head, his eyes never leaving Bella. "This wasn't your fault at all…I did this…I didn't listen to you." He glanced at her very swollen stomach, knowing he had lost his chance at having a little family the second he turned his back on Bella. Quickly he looked away. "I wish I had now."

"We all make mistakes, Jake." Bella told him, glancing up at him to see that his head was now down, starring at his lap.

"I just…I need you to know…" Jacob glanced up at Bella. "I never stopped loving you…I was just so angry. I wasn't thinking straight."

Bella nodded, sighing slightly and moving her hands to stomach, as the baby gives a few soft kicks. "Jacob, I will always love you." She glanced up at him. "Because you have given me so much…you helped me through everything. When I wanted to die…you gave me a reason to live." She motioned to her stomach. "And you will always be important because you are this baby's father but…"

"You don't need to let me down gently, Bella." Jacob sighed, leaning back. He knew that the conversation was going to end up here; he was just hoping it wouldn't. "I don't deserve it. After how I treated you…"

"Jake…" Bella said gently.

"No, Bella…" Jacob wouldn't look at her, afraid he would break. When it came to Bella, he was not strong enough to keep his feelings bottled up. "I know I messed this up and that any chance we ever had…it's gone." He nodded his head as he spoke, keeping his eyes on his hands. "And I also know that you love Edward…it's always been Edward." He glanced up at Bella, his eyes fighting back the tears that threatened them. "And I know he will take care of you…" He motioned to her pregnant stomach. "Both of you, because no matter what kind of baby that is…Edward loves you, and you love our baby, so Edward will love our baby."

Bella was shocked at the tears that seemed to form in Jacob's eyes. She knew it was breaking his heart to say those things to her, and it broke hers to watch him like that. Regardless of everything, he was still her best friend and the father of her child. "Jacob…this baby…it's still yours, you are still its father. I don't want you to not be in its life."

Jacob sighed, smiling a little. "Well…as its father…I am doing the best thing I can for it right now, and that is keeping it safe. Who knows? I may not have been such a good father anyway…"

Bella was shocked, and slightly confused by the meaning behind Jacob's words. Before she could get them clarified however, Jacob cut her off, leaving her to wonder if he would be in their child's life at all.

"Edward?" Jacob called out, standing up.

Edward, Carlisle, Rosalie, Esme, Emmett, Jasper, and Alice all immediately made their way into the living room to find Jacob standing and Bella seemingly confused, staring off in front of her before snapping her attention up the vampire's that now stood in the room.

"Do we have a plan?" Jacob asked, any trace of tears now gone.

Edward nodded. "We will head back to Forks."

"We figure it is the last place the pack will look for Bella." Carlisle added.

Jacob nodded after a moment. "That makes sense. I will get the pack to keep heading north…for a few months."

"We need time…until the baby is born." Alice added. "Then we can get Bella and the baby safely out of the packs way."

"Hopefully by then they will give up." Jacob nodded.

"Wait? Go back to Forks?" Bella seemed to suddenly be listening to the conversation. "But Charlie will be in danger…"

"The pack won't touch, Charlie." Jacob told her. "This has nothing to do with him."

"Plus, they won't know we are back there." Emmett added.

"Charlie will tell Billy…" Bella stood, quickly, losing her balance in the process, but Edward was there to catch her, easing her back onto the couch.

"The tribe has no way of getting in contact with us." Jacob assured her.

"Jacob…you must be careful when you phase around the pack." Edward looked at the werewolf. "They can hear your thoughts…"

"I'm not stupid." Jacob said quickly. "I know all of that. I can't risk phasing around them."

"Don't you think they will find that…suspicious?" Jasper asked.

Jacob shrugged. "Probably not. It's easier for us not to phase unless we are on the hunt…we didn't pack tons of clothes."

"Well…still…" Edward said.

"I won't do anything to put anyone in danger…trust me." Jacob said.

"It's kind of hard to trust a mutt…" Rosalie snorted.

"_Rosalie_…" Esme warned. "Jacob has come to help us…do not speak to him like that."

Jacob growled at Rosalie.

"Jacob…" Edward put a hand on the wolf's chest. "We need to get going."

Jacob nodded, glancing at Bella. He was debating on saying goodbye to her, but he knew it would only hurt him more to leave her and their unborn child behind when Jacob didn't know when or if he would see them again. Instead, he turned his attention back to Edward. "Can I talk to you…alone?"

Edward nodded, knowing what Jacob wanted to say, but motioning for the wolf to walk out to the front step.

Jacob followed Edward out the front door.

"Well…" Alice gracefully moved, helping Bella stand. "We need to pack."

"Alice…" Esme said. "You help Bella gather her things…"

Alice nodded, helping Bella up the stairs to the room she shared with Edward, hoping to get the pregnant girls mind off of the vampire and werewolf that stood out in the front of the house.

Once Bell and Alice were up the stairs, Esme spoke again.

"Everyone else…you have twenty minutes to pack whatever you need, then we are out of here." Esme said.

Everyone else nodded, moving swiftly to gather their things. They all understood the time constraints under which they operated if they were going to get Bella out of Canada and back to Forks before the pack realized it.

* * *

Alice helped Bella grab a few duffle bags and throw most of her belongings into them, before moving to pack Edward's things. Alice noticed that Bella seemed to be working in a fog, moving slower than normal, even in her pregnant state.

"Bella? You have to focus now…we don't have much time." Alice encouraged her.

Bella snapped her head up, realizing she had been folding one of Edward's shirts a few minutes too long. She just had too much on her mind. "Sorry…I just…"

"Bella, I understand you are worried, but I promise you…nothing will happen to you or that baby." Alice pointed to Bella's protruding stomach.

"How do you know that?" Bella asked, the situation in front of her just starting to hit her. "I mean…the pack is so close…"

"Edward won't let anything happen to you two." Alice had finished packing up the entire room. "I know him." She grabbed Bella's hand. "Now let's get out of here."

Bella nodded, numbly following Alice down the stairs, her thoughts everywhere from her baby's safety to Jacob's feelings to her reclaimed relationship with Edward. She didn't know how much more stress she or the baby would be able to handle.

* * *

Edward and Jacob stood out on the front steps of the Cullen's Canadian house. Edward could tell, by Jacob's scrabbled thoughts that the werewolf was wrestling with some huge, life changing decisions. Edward, out of respect, gave Jacob a few more minutes to gather his thoughts before interrupting.

"Jacob…I know you brought me out here to say something to me…" Edward started. "And I don't want to rush you, I know this isn't easy…but we don't have much time." He knew the faster they got Bella out of Canada the safer her and her unborn child would be.

"I know." Jacob nodded, after a moment. He straightened himself out, his back muscle's flexing as he looked Edward in the eye. "And I know you know what I am thinking…"

"Actually…it's hard to read your thoughts when they are so confusing." Edward told him truthfully.

"I know you will take care of Bella." Jacob said. "Because I know you love her, so I am not going to even ask that of you. I know she will always be safe with you and loved…regardless."

Edward nodded. "I hurt her once…I won't ever do it again. Trust me."

"Strangely enough, I do trust you." Jacob said. "So that's not what I am here to ask of you…"

Edward raised an eyebrow, trying to unscrambled Jacob's thoughts, but failing. "What _are _you asking then?"

"I know that my baby…Bella's baby…I know that it doesn't deserve your protection…it's not in anyone's nature to protect the offspring of their enemies but…" Jacob took a deep breath. "I am hoping you can look past what the child is…and just see the side of that is Bella…"

"Jacob…the child does not know right from wrong, and I will not condemn it because of what its father is." Edward said. "It is as much Bella as it is you…and you are proof that all werewolves are not cold harder, calculated killers."

"How can you say that?" Jacob wondered. "I have done nothing but try to destroy you…"

"But you standing here, right this minute, telling me to take your child and run away from your own kind…it speaks volumes of your character, Jacob. No child created by Bella and you could ever be a true monster." Edward finished what he was saying, meaning it all. It didn't matter to him what kind of child Bella was carrying, because at the end of the day it was Bella's child, and Edward knew he would love it for that simple fact alone.

Jacob shook his head, smiling a little. "It has nothing to do with my character and everything to do with the simple fact that you know you cannot turn your back on any part of Bella…not even the half-wolf child she is carrying."

"That may be it as well." Edward nodded.

"Well…thanks." Jacob said after a minute. "For everything you have done and are about to do. I will try my best to keep the pack away from you."

"Well, try to send us word when it seems safe. I don't think the pack will follow us forever." Edward said.

"Neither do I." Jacob agreed. "But…don't count on hearing from me…ever."

"What?" Edward was confused.

"I'll run…and I will do all I can to keep my baby safe…but I don't know if I will ever come back for it." Jacob looked down. "Bella is happy with you…my child is only in danger with me…even if the pack stops looking they will never be okay with me allowing Bella to live if they know I know where she is…I can't risk that."

"Jacob…it is still your child." Edward said.

"And I will never stop loving it." Jacob looked up. "And this is how I will love it…by keeping it safe."

"The child will always be safe." Edward assured the werewolf.

Jacob nodded as the front door swung open and Bella, Alice, Jasper, Emmett, Rosalie, Esme, and Carlisle stepped out onto the porch, bags in hand.

"We are ready to get moving." Carlisle stated.

Edward nodded, turning back to Jacob. "You should say goodbye."

Jacob was reluctant, not wanting to say goodbye to Bella or his child because he knew it could be the last time he saw both of them. He wanted to just run away as fast as he could, but as he looked at Bella's pregnant form he realized he could not.

Jacob sighed and moved forward, pulling Bella in for a hug. "Goodbye, Bells…you take good care of my little one."

"I will." Bella whispered back into his ear, her eyes filling up with tears as she felt the warmth of Jacob's body wrapped around her own. She had loved him, she knew that, but she also knew, in the end, Jacob was not the one for her.

Jacob then released Bella and knelt down in front of her, so he was eye level with her huge, protruding belly. He gently placed two hands on her stomach and leaned close to it. "Baby…this is your daddy…I love you very much and I always will." He gently leaned in, kissing the baby bump and feeling the child give a slight kick back at his lips.

Jacob smiled, not wanting to stand there another second for fear of not wanting to leave Bella or his unborn child. He quickly stood, never looking at Bella again, and nodded at Edward before taking off into the woods.

It took mere seconds for Bella to begin to sob, uncontrollably. She knew her best friend had just ran from her and their unborn child, and for some reason, she was unsure she would see him again.

Edward moved, gracefully gathering Bella's full figure into his arms and moving her to his car, silently thanking Alice who had opened the passenger door of the Volvo for him. He gently slid Bella in before closing the door behind him.

"No one stops…until we are well out of here." Edward looked to his family.

"Are you going to take her to Charlie's?" Carlisle asked. "Or back to our place?"

"Charlie's…I think." Edward said. "He has a right to see her…and know she is safe."

"I agree." Esme nodded, her expression was one of pride, seeing how maturely Edward was handling the whole situation.

"See you all at home." Edward said, before climbing into the driver's seat of the Volvo and peeling out of the long driveway.

Edward drove in silence as Bella wept until her cries had become whimpers. He then gently lay his hand on her lap, squeezing it slightly, as if to tell her he understood her tears were for Jacob because he understood some part of her had loved the werewolf.

Bella grabbed Edward's hand tightly, clinging to it as if it were the last thing in the world, as they drove back to Forks, never letting go of it until she finally drifted off to sleep, exhausted from the day and her pregnancy.


	18. I Am Not Going Anywhere

Disclaimer: All characters and things associated with The Twilight Saga belong to Stephanie Meyers. This writing is for pure entertainment only.

Summary: Set during New Moon. After Edward leaves, Bella is miserable and Jacob is there for her until things go too far between them, leaving Bella in an unexpected condition. When Edward returns how will Bella explain her situation to him? B/E B/J pairings

**Chapter 18**

Edward pulled the Volvo up to the front of Charlie's home. He had been driving all day and night for two days and finally pulled back up in front of the Swan residence, right before dawn. He glanced over in the seat next to him to see Bella's pregnant frame gently curled up, fast asleep.

As Edward watched Bella's steady breathing he realized just how fragile she looked. He was grateful they had made it out of Canada without many problems.

After a moment, Edward reached over, gently touching Bella's leg.

Bella immediately shot up. "What?"

"Relax, Bella." Edward's velvet voice soothed her. "I just wanted to let you know we are back in Forks."

Bella nodded, looking out the window at Charlie's home as all the color drained from her face. She was confused. "What…what are we doing here?"

"Charlie deserves to know you are safe." Edward told her. "Plus…it is probably safer for you to stay here…no one, even if the pack returns, will go after you under Charlie's roof…" He slid out of his side of the car, and was opening her door before Bella could blink.

"No…" Bella tried to move her pregnant body away from Edward's outstretched hand, but realized, with her extra body mass, there was only so far she could move.

"Bella…" Edward knelt down, so he was eye level with her in the car. "Trust me…"

"I don't want to be apart from you." Bella told him, her eyes frantic. "Not again."

"Bella…" Edward stood, leaning into the car, and caressing her cheek with his cold hand. "You will never be apart from me ever again…you don't have to worry about that. I will _never_ hurt you like that again." He gently leaned in, gathering her warm lips in his cold ones.

* * *

Jacob made his way back through the thick trees of the Canadian forest to where the rest of his pack had set camp up. He was nervous they would be able to tell he was lying when asked where he had been, but he hoped, for Bella and his unborn child's sake, that he would be a good enough liar.

When Jacob came to the campsite, he found Jared, Paul, and Sam all cooking some hamburgers.

"Jacob." Sam looked up. "You're finally back."

Jacob nodded, trying to act normal. "Yeah, sorry…I didn't mean to take off…"

"You have been gone like two days." Jared eyed Jacob.

"Uh…yeah." Jacob nodded, taking a seat at the fire, across from Sam. "Sorry…I just started running…stressed out, I guess."

"Over Bella?" Sam raised an eyebrow.

Jacob nodded. "I…I just want to find her…" He glanced down and then put his best fake glare on, raising his eyes to meet Sam's. "So we can end this…"

Paul smiled, buying Jacob's lie and thinking he still wanted Bella dead in the end. He patted Jacob on the back. "We will find her…and she will pay."

Jacob nodded, his best fake smile on. He knew he needed the pack to believe he wanted Bella dead in order to keep her safe. "Good."

Sam watched Jacob for a moment, and then slowly nodded. He believed Jacob's lie. "Well…we need to find them soon."

"No problem." Jacob said. "I think I caught their trail a few miles from here…but it died off pretty quickly."

"So we head north tomorrow?" Sam suggested.

Jacob nodded viciously, happy that he did not have to press them to move further north, and therefore away from Bella and the Cullen's. He was glad Sam was the one suggesting it knowing it would be easier to keep the lie going under those circumstances.

* * *

Edward slowly helped Bella walk to the front door of Charlie's home, one hand holding hers, while the other supported her pregnant frame by resting on her back.

"Easy…" Edward cautioned as she took the steps to the front door. Edward had not realized just how pregnant Bella truly was, her stomach extending far out in front of her small frame.

Bella took a deep breath when she got to the front door, nervously glancing at Edward. She was worried about how Charlie would react to her return, considering she left him over a month ago with nothing but a note.

"You will be fine." Edward kissed the top of Bella's head.

"I hope so…" Bella seemed to breathe as she watched Edward ring the doorbell to Charlie's home.

A second later, the front door swung open and a stunned Charlie stood, staring down at his pregnant daughter and Edward.

"Bella?" Charlie could not believe she was in front of him. He was relieved she was back, and visibly okay.

"Hi, Dad." Bella said meekly, glancing at Edward who was looking at Charlie, a serious look on his face.

Charlie followed Bella's gaze to Edward, and immediately the shock on his face was replaced with rage. "Get out of here." Charlie spoke through a clenched jaw at Edward.

Edward nodded, reading Charlie's thoughts and realizing just how mad the chief was, and all of the horrible things he wanted to do to Edward.

"Dad…" Bella spoke softly. "It wasn't Edward's fault."

"Oh of coarse…you would have up and left if he hadn't come back!" Charlie stepped toward Edward. "You ever come near my daughter again and I will kill you myself! Do you understand me, boy?"

"Yes sir." Edward was slightly scared of Charlie, knowing there was no way for Charlie to actually kill him, but feeling how much Charlie hated him did hurt the vampire enough to make him ashamed of himself and all he had ever done to Bella.

"Dad…please…" Bella tugged on Charlie's shoulder. "He didn't do anything, its not his fault."

"No." Charlie said, still looking at Edward. "It's not…not entirely." Charlie turned to face Bella. "I can't believe how irresponsible you could be! You're pregnant for God sakes, Bella, and you run off with nothing but a note!"

Bella was surprised; she had expected Charlie to be angry if not furious with Edward, which he was, but she had not expected him to be equally as mad at her. He had never yelled at her like this before. "Dad..I…"

"You what?" Charlie asked, rage in his eyes. "You just thought it was the right thing to do? Run off in the middle of the night with some boy while you were pregnant? And you're not even having his kid!!" Charlie pointed to Edward. "Did you for once second think about Jacob…or better yet…did you ever think about how all of this could screw up your kids life? I don't give a crap if you like Jacob or not…you decided to get pregnant by him, so you can't just run off the second _this one_ shows back up!" He continued to point at Edward. "Who the hell knows how long he is even staying around for this time?"

Edward could see Bella was on the verge of tears, and although he understood why Charlie was upset, he could not stand by and allow him to continue to yell at Bella. "I am not going anywhere this time, sir." He said calmly.

Edward's voice caused Charlie to turn back to him, angry still in his eyes. "Like hell you aren't. You come within twenty feet of this front door and I'll shoot you myself…"

Bella's eyes were full of horror at her father's words to Edward. Even though she knew Charlie could not actually hurt the vampire, the idea that her father would want to upset her deeply. "Dad…"

"Get inside, Bella." Charlie ordered, staring Edward down.

"No…" Bella found herself saying, firmer then she thought possible. She would not allow Edward to take such abuse for only trying to keep her safe; she just knew she could not explain that to Charlie.

"It's okay, Bella." Edward assured her. "Go inside…I'll be fine." He gave her a small smile, letting her know it would all be okay.

"It's not okay! Get in the house, Bella!" Charlie ordered before turning back to Edward and giving him a shove. "And you get the hell off my property."

"Sure." Edward nodded, glancing one more time at Bella before turning back to his car.

Charlie, after watching Edward pull away from the house, turned to Bella who was still in the doorway. "I said get in the house, damn it!" He moved forward.

Bella, having nowhere else to go, moved into the house and immediately began crying. She knew Edward would be fine, and that everything would work out, but listening to her father yell at the vampire she loved and yell at her was too much for the pregnant girl, and the tears began flowing without her control.

Charlie stood in the doorway, watching Bella cry in the small foyer. It broke his heart to see her tears, but at the same time he was so mad at her for leaving; he had been so worried. And he was even more furious with Edward, assuming Edward had talked Bella into leaving, knowing she would have never done it on her own.

"Stop crying." Charlie said, his voice a little calmer. "You're home now…there is nothing to cry about."

"How could you be so rude to him?" Bella snapped, as she lay one hand on her pregnant stomach, trying to calm the kicking baby inside. "Edward did nothing wrong!"

"He took you!" Charlie shot back.

"I am eighteen!" Bella laughed bitterly. "I left on my own! I am old enough to make my own decisions!"

"Yeah, and look how great your decision making skills are!" Charlie motioned to Bella's pregnant stomach. "You didn't even graduate and a kid is already on the way!"

"Don't you throw this back in my face!" Bella covered her pregnant stomach protectively. "It has nothing to do with the baby."

"It has everything to do with that baby!" Charlie rolled his eyes. "You used Jacob…and now you are going to use this baby the exact same way! The second that Cullen boy leaves…"

"How dare you!" Bella spat, her body visibly shaking with anger and confusion. She turned, as fast as she could, and made her way up the stairs, slamming her door.

Once in her room, Bella threw herself on her bed, hysterical.

"Bella…calm down." Edward was already in her room, sitting on the bed next to her.

Bella was not even surprised by his prescience, and was happy to see him. She curled up next to him, resting her head on his shoulder and continuing to cry.

"Bella please…try and calm down." Edward kissed the top of her head. "It's not good for the baby…"

Upon hearing this, Bella's cries calmed down a little.

"There you go…" Edward's velvet voice was in her ear. "Let's get you in bed." He gently moved Bella, placing her under her sheets.

"Edward…" Bella's bloodshot eyes were big as she stared up at the vampire.

"Yes?" Edward asked calmly from his seat on the bed next to her.

"You're…you're not going to leave…are you?" Bella asked.

Edward smiled at her. "I am not going anywhere…" He leaned down kissing her forehead, emphasizing his point.

* * *

Jacob, Paul, Sam, and Jared all moved up the mountain, tired and out of breath. Even for wolves, the pace that they were moving at was rather fast.

"I don't know why we just don't phase and chase them…it will be so much faster." Paul said.

"Because…they will smell us coming." Jacob said quickly, knowing the real reason he did not want to phase was that he did not want any of the other wolves reading his mind and seeing that he knew Bella and Edward had gone safely back to Forks.

"He is right." Sam agreed, thinking Jacob's theory actually made sense. "We will keep moving like this."

"It is going to take forever…" Jared whined.

"They can't go much farther." Jacob said. "Once they get to Alaska…"

"Alaska??" Paul shook his head in disbelief.

"It's the last place they can really go…Bella is due in four months…they have no time to take her anywhere else." Jacob said.

"I am not going all the way to Alaska so we better find them before that or forget this…" Paul started.

"Patients, Paul!" Sam ordered. "We will do what we have to in order to obtain Bella and the child…understood?"

Paul nodded, his eyes shifting to the ground.

"We should take a break…" Jacob sighed, his legs growing tired. "Rest up and head back out tomorrow. They won't get far…Bella isn't as easy as she used to be to move around…"

"Good idea." Sam nodded, motioning for Jared and Paul to clear some of the branches off the forest floor and set up camp for the night. Sam decided would continue following the path Jacob said the Cullen's and Bella were on tomorrow, never once thinking Jacob was leading them in the complete opposite direction of their pray.

* * *

Bella woke up, screaming an earth-shattering scream. Edward was sure, if Charlie had not left for work, that he would have been in the room in five seconds flat. Edward quickly went to the bed, grabbing Bella and trying to wake her.

"Bella! Bella!" Edward held the pregnant girl, trying to calm her twitching body.

Finally, Bella awoke, her body calming instantly. She saw Edward and began to cry, burying her face into his shoulder.

"Shh…" Edward soothed her, running his hand over her head as she hugged her. "Shh…you're okay…"

After a few minutes, Bella pulled away from Edward, her face tear-stained, but she was no longer quivering. "Sorry…bad dream."

"I would say so." Edward nodded, his crooked smile forming on his lips. "What was it about?"

Bella bit her lip, debating on telling Edward. She sighed, leaning back into her pillow, one hand resting on her pregnant stomach while the other rested on her forehead. "I thought you left."

"What?" Edward's brow furrowed in confusion.

Bella glanced down at the vampire. "In my dream…I thought you left me…again."

Edward looked down, not meeting Bella's glance. He was ashamed he had caused her so much pain. After a moment, he looked back up at her, moving closer to her. "Bella…I will _never_ leave your side again. I am sorry for what happened, but please…stop worrying. I will be here until you order me away, and all of this stress…it's not good for the baby." He gently placed a hand on her protruding belly.

Bella glanced down at Edward's hand and felt selfish, knowing he was concerned about the child of his natural born enemy. She had no right to put him in that position. "Edward…why do you care about it so much?"

"About what?" Edward asked.

"About the baby?" Bella motioned to her stomach.

Edward glanced down at his hand that rested on Bella's pregnant belly but did not move it, instead he shrugged slightly and rubbed a few more circles. "I just…do."

Bella was silent for a moment, taking Edward's words in before tilting her head back up. "Edward? I have to know…why did Jacob want to talk to you alone before we left Canada?"

Edward now removed his hand from Bella's stomach. "He wanted to ask me something."

"What…did he ask?" Bella asked.

Edward was silent for a moment, taking a deep unneeded breath. "He asked me for a favor…" Edward glanced away from Bella and then back at her, his eyes more serious than ever. "He asked me to take care of you and your child...to keep you both safe."

"Oh…" Bella looked down at her stomach and then, after a long pause, looked back up at Edward; her eyes shifting nervously as her absentmindedly rubbed her pregnant belly. "What…what did you say?"

"I told him the truth." Edward told her, placing his hand on top of hers.

"And…and what was that?" Bella couldn't help but stutter over her words.

"That I will always be here for you…and your baby." Edward smiled slightly at her, though his eyes still intense. "That I will always keep his child safe…no matter what."

"Really?" Bella couldn't help but smile a little, touched by Edward's words.

Edward nodded, moving closer to Bella and kissing her forehead. "I told you, Bella…I am not going anywhere." He smiled down at her.

Bella smiled back, pulling him in for a kiss.

When the kiss broke apart, Edward smiled at her, and then lay down on the bed next to her. "Come on…you should try and get some sleep."

Bella nodded, cuddling up close to Edward's stone cold chest and drifting off to sleep, her dreams much lighter then before.

Edward sat still for a long time, listening to Bella's even breathing and cursing himself for ever causing such a beautiful creature any pain at all. Bella deserved more than him, better than him; Edward hoped that this time, he would be able to show her how truly beautiful and important she was.


	19. He is Pressing Charges

Disclaimer: All characters and things associated with The Twilight Saga belong to Stephanie Meyers. This writing is for pure entertainment only.

Summary: Set during New Moon. After Edward leaves, Bella is miserable and Jacob is there for her until things go too far between them, leaving Bella in an unexpected condition. When Edward returns how will Bella explain her situation to him? B/E B/J pairings

**Chapter 19**

Charlie moved into Bella's room to find her pregnant form under the covers, asleep. He sighed; she knew she was going back to school today and that she should have been up twenty minutes ago. He moved, yanking the curtains open to let the light into the dark room.

"Ugh…" Bella groaned from under her sheets, pulling them over her face.

"Wake up." Charlie said. It had been two weeks since Bella had returned from her disappearance and Charlie was still not exactly over the entire thing. "You know you are heading back to school today."

Bella sat up slowly, struggling to pull her weight up under her pregnant belly. She had a little less than three and a half months left before the baby was due, but she was ready to get it out now. "Why do I have to go back? Everyone is just going to be gossiping…"

"They already are." Charlie said. "Teen pregnancy is a scandal here…but add running away with a boy who isn't the father and you have a front page story here in Forks." He moved toward her bed, folding his arms. "Plus…you are getting a high school degree if it kills me."

"Fine." Bella folded her arms across her chest. She was not exactly excited about going to school, but she was excited that she would get to see Edward again; he had returned to school early that week so things would look semi-normal.

"Good…" Charlie nodded, moving toward the door and then hesitating, turning back around. "Hey, Bella?"

"Yeah?" Bella looked over at her dad, laying one hand on her stomach as the baby kicked.

"I…I am sorry I have been so short with you the past two weeks…it's just…when you took off…I was just so angry…" Charlie said.

"I know." Bella cut him off. "It's fine…"

"Well…then I am going to ask one thing of you that may make you mad with me, and that's fine but…I don't want you near Edward in school." Charlie told her, knowing Edward was back at Forks High School.

"You can't control my ever move, Dad." Bella shot back quickly, appalled by his suggestion.

"It's not your every move. It's one move…and I think it's a fair request. Poor Jacob ran off looking for you and still hasn't come back…he is the one you should be concerned with, he is the father of your baby…not that Cullen kid." Charlie was growing aggravated.

"I am worried about Jake." Bella said truthfully, knowing he was not back because he was keeping the pack away from her, Edward, and her unborn child. "But Dad…I don't want to be with him, I am sorry if that is not what you want."

"Then maybe you shouldn't have…." Charlie motioned to her pregnant stomach and shook his head. "Just forget it. I am going to work." He huffed out the door, down the stairs, and out of the house, revving his engine and pulling the cruiser out of the driveway.

The second the sound of Charlie's engine speed off into the distance, a new sound filled Bella's room.

"He is still really angry with me." Edward stepped out of the shadow of the corner of Bella's room.

"Edward?!" Bella jumped, holding her chest to calm herself down. "You shouldn't scare a pregnant girl like that…or any human for that matter."

"Sorry." Edward apologized, sitting on the end of her bed.

"How long have you been in here?" Bella asked.

"Long enough to hear Charlie's real thoughts on me…and long enough to hear you argue with him." Edward said, and then added. "You shouldn't fight with him, Bella. Charlie really does love you."

"I know he does." Bella sighed. "I just…don't want him to think he has any right keeping me from you."

"Bella…he is your father." Edward shook his head. "In Charlie's mind, I took you from him…and more than once." Edward looked away, his eyes sad. "He still hates what I did to you when I left…how upset you were…"

"Edward…" Bella started.

"No." Edward looked at her. "Charlie has every right to hate me for what I did to you…I hate myself for it." He stood. "We need to get to school."

Bella nodded after a moment, and sighed, struggling to get out of bed.

Edward laughed, effortlessly and gently lifting Bella's pregnant form from her bed. "You get dressed. I will make you a bagel…you can eat in the car."

"Thanks." Bella gave Edward a quick kiss before heading into the bathroom, knowing even if she rushed he would be patiently waiting for her in the Volvo to drive her to school.

* * *

Charlie pulled his cruiser up to the dinner and got out, moving swiftly inside and out of the light drizzle falling down outside. He moved to the counter where he found Julie, one of the local waitresses.

"Charlie? What can I do for ya?" Julie asked from behind the counter.

"Just a large coffee…with just sugar, please." Charlie said.

"Sure thing." Julie turned away and toward the coffee machine.

"Hey Chief Swan." Mike Newton smiled to Charlie as he walked up to the counter.

"Mike." Charlie smiled at the boy. "How are you?"

"Not too bad, sir." Mike nodded. "So…is Bella coming back to school soon or…?"

"Today, actually." Charlie received his coffee from Julie and paid her, turning to leave, but then turning back to Mike. "Mike, you were always a pretty good friend to Bella, right?"

"I like to think so." Mike nodded.

"Then…as a good friend…can you do me a favor?" Charlie asked.

"Sure." Mike nodded, wondering what the chief of police could want from him.

"The Cullen's are back in school, aren't they?" Charlie asked.

"Uh…yeah." Mike rolled his eyes. He had never been a fan of the Cullen's but especially not after Edward had started to date Bella.

Charlie nodded. "Well…if it's not too much to ask…could you maybe keep an eye on Bella…around that Edward Cullen? I don't…like him around her."

Mike smiled at this new found information. Even if Bella was pregnant, Mike still had a huge crush on her. "Why don't you just tell her that, sir?"

"I do…she doesn't listen." Charlie said. "But…that Cullen kid…he isn't good for her."

"Well…don't worry about it, sir." Mike smiled. "I will be glad to keep an eye on her."

"Thanks." Charlie smiled, and then moved out of the diner.

Mike also smiled, unable to wipe it from his lips even after Charlie had left. The idea of keeping Bella away from Edward, on behalf of her father, sounded great to him because it gave him a reason to hang around Bella, and keep Edward at a safe distance.

* * *

Jacob and the pack found themselves near the Alaskan boarder. They had been running for weeks, chasing every vampire scent they had picked up and the pack was growing more and more reckless, making it easier for Jacob to feed their fear of never finding the Cullen's insisting every trail they picked up was Edward, causing the pack to run farther from Forks and therefore, farther from Bella. Jacob knew, however, they could not keep running north forever, soon he would have to think of another plan to keep the pack away from Forks.

"I need a break." Jared whined, tossing himself onto a fallen log. "I am tired of running like this…we should just phase."

"We are on our last pair of shorts." Paul smacked Jared in the side of the head.

The clothing situation was true, they entire pack had been phasing and ripping so much clothing that they had decided against phasing any longer, knowing the Cullen's couldn't move too fast with an almost six-month pregnant Bella. This made things easier for Jacob, because he did not have to worry about the pack reading his mind.

"They can't be far." Sam said. "Bella must be getting to close to the end for them to safely continue to move her like this."

Jacob nodded feverishly, knowing Sam was wrong because Bella was safe in Forks, and that was how Jacob would keep it. "We should keep moving north." He sniffed the air. "And set up camp. Looks like more snow will be in by tonight."

"Fine…." Jared whined.

Suddenly, Jacob's nose twisted again, as did the rest of the pack. A familiar scent filled their nostrils.

"Vampire." Jacob said of the scent.

The rest of the pack instantly began running in the direction of the scent, and Jacob followed behind, knowing with great ease that whatever vampire they were tracking now it was not a Cullen, and therefore, Bella was in no danger.

* * *

Edward parked his Volvo in the parking lot of Forks High School next to Emmett's jeep, which Alice had used to get herself to school that day. Edward glanced over to see Alice waving through the window of the jeep and he waved back before turning to a rather pregnant Bella who was fiddling with the ring on her pointer finger.

"Ready to get in there?" Edward motioned to the high school.

Bella sighed. "I guess..."

"It will be fine, Bella." Edward reached over, taking her hand in his, and trying to ease her obvious anxiety.

"I was the talk of the town when i got pregnant...add running away with the obviously beautiful but socially stunted son of Dr. Cullen and we have front page news..." Bella glanced down at her pregnant stomach.

"Socially stunted?" Edward smirked at her, trying to make a joke.

Bella glanced at Edward, her eyes heavy and clearly not in the mood for a joke; she looked as though she was about to cry.

Suddenly, Alice's voice filled Edward's head. _"Edward do you want me to wait for you?" _Alice asked.

Edward turned to Alice, shaking his head to answer her question. He knew he needed some more alone time with Bella.

"Bella...I won't let anything happen to you." Edward turned his attention back to the love of his life.

"Just...please don't leave me alone today?" Bella asked.

"Of course not..." Edward pulled her closer to him as gently as possible and kissed her on the forehead. "Come on...we should get to class..."

Bella nodded and watched as Edward got out of the car and moved around to her door, opening it and helping her pregnant form out of his car. Immediately she could feel everyone's eyes on her and Edward as they walked toward the school and she knew it was going to be a long day.

* * *

Jacob, Sam, Jared, and Paul were still running through the woods of Alaska, the vampire scent growing stronger. Suddenly, in a clearing, the four werewolves caught sight of the vampire they were chasing. It was as if she wanted to be caught, leaning against a tree, her fiery red hair blowing slightly in the breeze.

"Took you long enough to catch up." Victoria looked up at the four wolves, bored.

"Victoria?" Jacob stepped forward, his body filled with rage. He hated Victoria, not only because she was vampire but because she wanted Bella dead as well.

Victoria squared off against Jacob. "So where is Bella?"

"We don't know." Sam stepped forward.

"You don't know or you think you can keep her hidden with your dog smell?" Victoria asked.

"You wanted us to find you." Jacob realized.

"I figured the only way to get to Bella is to get through you." Victoria smirked.

"Well you won't find her through us…" Paul said, half angry at his own statement. He wanted to find Bella as much as Victoria did.

"Fine…" Victoria lunged down, and took off

Immediately, Jared and Paul phased and chased after her. Sam was about to follow when he noticed Jacob standing very still.

"Jacob, come on! We have to kill her!" Sam said.

Jacob just shook his head, knowing he couldn't phase because his thoughts would be heard by all in the pack and then they would know he was trying to keep Bella's whereabouts a secret.

"Stupid!" Sam growled, shaking his head at Jacob before phasing himself and following Jared and Paul, leaving Jacob all alone in the clearing.

* * *

Edward slowly led a rather pregnant Bella into the cafeteria of Forks High School. He felt bad for her, knowing she had been the gossip of the day. If the students weren't talking out loud about her, Edward could hear their thoughts, and they were all about Bella.

Edward helped Bella to the table in the back of the cafeteria where Alice waited for them. Once there, he pulled Bella's chair out.

"Thanks…" Bella mumbled, slowly easing her larger body into the chair. She did not, however, make eye contact with Edward, and he could tell she was ashamed of herself.

"Bella…" Edward sat next to her, taking her hand in his. "Don't worry about what everyone else is saying…"

"It's kind of hard not to…" Bella looked at Edward and then sighed.

"They don't know what they are talking about, Bella." Alice motioned around to the cafeteria, easily able to see Bella's look of embarrassment and sadness. She felt bad for her friend.

"Thanks, Alice." Bella smiled weakly.

Edward nodded to Alice, silently thanking her for his kind words before turning back to Bella, noticing her food was untouched. "You should eat."

"I'm not hungry." Bella sighed.

"Bella...you need to think about the baby." Alice encouraged her. "Whether you are hungry or not…"

"Fine…" Bella mumbled, picking her fork up and taking a small mouthful of macaroni.

"There you go…" Edward gently patted Bella's back.

Bella just glanced up at Edward with tired eyes before focusing back on her food.

Alice's voice filled Edward's head immediately, full of concern. _"She seems sad, Edward…being here is not good for her."_

Edward nodded, agreeing with his sister, but at a loss of ideas. He had no clue what to do to make Bella feel any better. This particular situation, the school situation, was out of his hands. Bella needed to be there in order to graduate, and Edward wanted her to graduate more than anything, to have earned that degree.

Suddenly, someone else's thoughts filled Edward's head, and he cringed. Mike Newton was walking toward their table, and apparently preparing to speak with Bella. _"What do I say to her?" _Mike's question filled Edward's thoughts.

Edward's cringe must have been noticed, because Bella gently placed her hand over his, her eyes full of concern. "What's wrong?"

Edward said nothing, but instead glanced up over Bella's shoulder to see Mike Newton casually leaning against their table, smiling.

"Hey Bella." Mike continued to smile.

Bella turned to see Mike, realizing he was the reason for Edward's wincing expression. "Hey Mike…"

"Glad you're back in school." Mike said. "We were all worried about you…since you…you know have been missing so long." Mike passed a glare at Edward as he spoke.

The glare did not go unnoticed by Bella, who leaned closer to Edward, cradling her pregnant belly in one hand. "Well…I am fine. Thanks for the concern though…"

"Yeah…well it wasn't just me." Mike motioned to Jess, Angelia, and Eric who were all watching Mike from their table across the cafeteria. "So why don't you come sit with us? You know…like you used to before some_ unwanted_ people came back." Mike smirked at Edward.

Bella shook her head at Mike's comment, leaning even closer to Edward now and pushing her pregnant belly up a bit, making it impossible for Mike to ignore it. She thought he was still hitting on her. "I am fine right here, Mike."

"Come on…" Mike pushed, remembering that Charlie had asked him to keep Bella away from Edward and it was a task he was ready to enjoy.

"I think she wants to stay where she is, Mike." Edward gave Mike a small smirk as he wrapped an arm around Bella's shoulder, protectively.

"You know, Cullen? A lot of people liked you being gone…" Mike glanced at Alice. "_All_ of you being gone." And then his eyes were back on Edward. "No one missed you…and Bella was better off without you."

"Well, thank you for letting me know, Mike." Edward said simply.

Mike was growing frustrated with Edward and Bella. "And no one likes the two of you together." He motioned to them. "Its wrong…" Mike looked at Bella. "Its not even his kid, is it?"

Bella glanced down at her pregnant Bella, her cheeks flushing red.

Mike nodded, taking Bella's silence as the answer he was looking for. "That's what I thought…"

Edward was standing up in an instant, ready to defend Bella. "Mike, why don't you leave?"

Mike was caught off guard by Edward's sudden movement, but stood up, sticking his chest out to make him look bigger, though he was shorter then Edward. "I can't do that."

"Why not?" Edward was trying to control his rage as he stepped toward Mike.

Mike's face began to show some signs of unease, but he did not step back from Edward. "Chief Swan asked me to keep an eye on Bella…to make sure she wasn't anywhere near you and I intend to keep my promise to him."

"What?" Bella was enraged now, and went to stand, though Edward held her down by pressing into her shoulder. He did not want her to be standing in her condition, in case anything happened.

Mike noticed Edward's grasp on Bella and snorted. "No wonder the chief doesn't like a bully like you around her, Cullen."

"Mike…go sit down." Edward instructed as calmly as he could.

"I am not going anywhere unless Bella comes with me." Mike said, with a fake tone of confidence.

"Mike…" Edward warned, his patients growing thin.

"What, Cullen?" Mike actually stepped toward Edward. "What are you going to do?"

"Mike…" Bella spoke softly, knowing Edward was growing angrier with each passing second. "Just…leave me alone."

"No." Mike shook his head, answering Bella though continuing to look at Bella. "Cullen is no good for you, Bella…maybe you are blind to it, but no one else is…you are just in some fantasy world were you think he wants you for more than five seconds…but the truth is…he doesn't…because he found it so easy to leave you…" Mike pushed Edward in the chest. "Isn't that right, Cullen?"

That was all Edward could take, and before he knew it, he was pushing Mike back, though twice as hard as any normal teenager Edward's size should have been able to. Within seconds, Mike went flying across the cafeteria, taking out a few chairs before slamming into the big window, shattering the glass and falling to the ground, completely cut up and bloody.

Everyone in the cafeteria stood in shock, some starring at Edward, others glancing at the battered Mike Newton that lay on the floor, covered in shattered glass.

Even Bella stood, her jaw hanging open wide at the fact that Edward had actually pushed Mike.

Edward, on the other hand, just shook his head, disappointed that he had not been able to control himself better. He glanced down in shame and then stormed out of the cafeteria before anyone could stop him.

Bella watched Edward leave, shock still written on her face, as Alice's cold touch reached around Bella's pregnant frame, trying to offer the young girl support, worried that Bella could panic or go into shock, endangering her unborn child.

* * *

Victoria's body lay in several pieces by the time Jacob reached the pack. He was still in human form, unwilling to phase and risk the safely of Bella and his unborn child. Sam, Jared, and Paul were all back in their human forms as well, when Jacob reached them.

"She is dead." Sam said, never taking his eyes off of Victoria's dismembered body, although speaking to Jacob.

Jacob stepped forward, numbly, unable to believe that after all of that Victoria lay at his feet. The vampire who had caused so much chaos for Bella was now dead.

"Why didn't you help us?" Jared looked up at Jacob, accusingly.

"I…I don't know." Jacob said, having no better excuse.

Sam turned to Jacob suspiciously. "Are you trying to hide something from us, Jacob?"

"What?" Jacob looked like he had been punched in the gut. "No…no…" He fumbled.

"Because…if you were, not phasing would be the only way to keep it from us." Sam continued.

"No…I'm not hiding anything." Jacob regained some of his composure.

"What could he want to hide?" Paul turned to Sam. "He is probably just too scared to take a real vampire out." Paul thought he was teasing Jacob.

Jacob was relieved that Paul would rather suspect him a coward then a liar and quickly rolled his eyes, wanting Sam's suspicions to turn away from him. "Maybe…" He shrugged.

"Yeah…maybe." Sam said, but his eyes did not leave Jacob's and instead seemed to burn a hole into Jacob, causing the younger werewolf to cringe at the possibility of one of the other wolves figuring out the truth.

* * *

Bella sat on the Cullen's couch with Esme next to her, rubbing her back softly. Alice had managed to get Bella back to the Cullen's house in one piece, but it was easy for anyone to see that Bella was visibly shaken up from what happened earlier in the cafeteria.

Alice, and Carlisle stood across from Bella and Esme while Rosalie sat in a chair and Jasper and Emmett sprawled themselves out on the floor. Everyone was worried for Edward.

"I still can't believe Edward would do something like that…" Carlisle said. He had just heard the story from Alice and was shocked Edward would expose himself like he had earlier. It was easy to see no human boy should have that kind of strength.

"I doubt anyone thought much of it." Emmett said lightly. "I mean…they probably just thought Edward was mad…"

"If _you_ threw someone across the cafeteria, they probably wouldn't think much of it…but Edward is half your size." Rosalie said, rolling her eyes slightly at Emmett. "Edward seems so…lanky…"

"Well…regardless of whether they think much of it or not…why would Edward be so stupid as to show his strength like that?" Carlisle was still trying to wrap his mind around the idea. Edward had never behaved like that before.

"Mike…made him mad…" Alice said simply.

"Where do you think he is?" Bella asked after a moment, her voice almost raspy as her unborn child kicked her hard, forcing her to lean back so she could rub her protruding stomach.

"He probably just panicked." Jasper said. "He may have taken off…"

"He will probably be back in a few days." Emmett added.

"Days?!" Bella seemed to panic.

"Don't listen to, Emmett, honey…" Esme continued to pat Bella's back and shot a death stare at Emmett who immediately looked down. "Edward is probably nearby…"

Suddenly, Bella's phone began ringing. She immediately pulled it out of her pocket and sighed, seeing Charlie's name come up. She flipped the phone over after a minute. "Hello?"

"_Bella? Listen to me…I just left the hospital…Mike Newton is all banged up and he told me what Edward did to him…"_ Charlie's voice rang through the phone.

"Dad…whatever Mike said, he antagonized Edward…" Bella started.

"_No one deserves to shatter his collarbone, Bella…"_ Charlie's voice was angry. _"And he is pressing charges on Edward…so I am coming home, and you better be there, alone, because if that Cullen boy is there…"_

"Dad…Edward didn't do anything wrong." Bella found herself growing angry with her father. "You were the one who told Mike to get involved…it was no one's business…"

"_No one's business?"_ Charlie cut Bella off. _"I am glad Mike kept an eye on you…it was obviously in your best interest. Edward is not stable, I don't want you around someone like that. Now…I'll be home in fifteen minutes."_ And with that, Charlie hung up.

Bella starred down at her phone for a moment.

"Charging Edward with what?" Rosalie broke the silence, anger in her voice.

Bella looked up, realizing all of the Cullen's had heard her conversation with her father, their hearing all impeccable. "I…I don't know."

"Wow…none of us have been arrested before." Emmett joked.

"Emmett…not now." Carlisle warned, and then turned to Alice. "Alice, take Bella home?"

"Of course." Alice moved toward Bella.

"Home?" Bella shook her head fiercely. "I don't want to go home…I want to wait for Edward."

"Bella, you heard your father, he expects you home." Carlisle said rationally.

"I don't care what he expects…" Bella started.

"Sweetie, if you aren't home it will only make things worse." Esme reasoned. "You should go…we will let you know the minute Edward returns."

Bella sighed, knowing Esme was right, she took the hand Alice had offered and slowly eased her pregnant frame out of her seat.

"Come on…" Alice smiled slightly at Bella. "Let's get you home before Charlie."

Bella just nodded weakly, not worried about keeping Charlie happy, but rather worried about where Edward was and if he was okay.

Within seconds of the sound of Alice's car pulling out of the driveway, the backdoor to the Cullen's home flew open and Edward entered.

"Edward?" Esme was relieved to see him. "You're okay."

"Yeah…sorry I didn't come home sooner…I had to think about some stuff…" Edward said casually.

"Alice told us all about what happened at school." Carlisle said.

"Oh…" Edward nodded. He had figured that. "Is Bella…"

"She just left with Alice." Carlisle told him. "And you should let her know you are okay. She was worried."

Edward frowned; he hated to think of Bella being worried. "I'll go over there now."

"Bad idea." Rosalie said. "Considering her dad is looking to arrest you the second he sees you."

"What?" Edward was confused.

"Mike Newton is pressing charges on you." Carlisle said, his eyes stern. "Edward, what were you thinking? Why would you hit that boy?"

Edward looked down, replaying the incident in the cafeteria over again in his head. Mike deserved everything he got that afternoon; no one should ever think they could talk to Bella like that. "He deserved it."

"You broke his collarbone." Carlisle's voice was calm but Edward could tell his father was disappointed.

Edward said nothing. He knew he could never be able to justify what had happened with Mike to anyone in the room so he wouldn't try. But he couldn't help but like the idea of knowing he had broken Mike's bone; that Mike had paid brutally for being so mean to Bella.

Carlisle sighed after a moment, realizing Edward was not going to say anything. "Go let Bella know you are okay. Try and keep a low profile, since the cops are looking for you. When you finish come back here…we have to figure this whole mess out."

Edward nodded and turned, quickly making his way out the door and into the moonless night, racing in the direction of Bella's home, mad at himself for letting her be upset. He knew he should have come home earlier he had just needed some time to cool off. Mike Newton had made him so angry.

* * *

Alice had gotten Bella home in record time, knowing Charlie would not be home for at least another ten minutes. She had carefully helped Bella up the stairs and into bed, before taking a seat at the end of the pregnant girl's bed.

"Everything is going to be fine." Alice said, seeing the worrying written all over Bella's face.

Bella glanced up at Alice and then looked down at her pregnant stomach, sighing. "I hope you are right."

"Of course I am." Alice said. "Carlisle will figure this all out."

"What if my dad arrests Edward?" Bella asked. "I know Edward can take of himself…but I don't want him to risk everything for you guys."

"Well…Edward already did that when he pushed Mike." Alice reminded Bella.

Bella looked away, fighting back the tears that threatened her eyes. "He pushed Mike because of me…I am the reason for this whole mess…"

"Bella, that is not true…" Alice said.

"Yes it is…" Bella let a few tears slip down her cheeks. "I am always messing everything up for Edward…and now we don't even know where he is…"

"He is fine wherever he is." Alice said. "Don't worry…it's not good for you or the baby to worry…"

The mention of her unborn child only made Bella cry more.

"Bella…please…" Alice did not like to see her best friend upset and moved closer to the pregnant teenager, allowing Bella to cry onto her ice cold skin.

Alice sat like that for what seemed like forever, allowing Bella to cry, until another cold hand graced her immortal shoulder.

"I've got her…" Edward spoke to Alice but motioned to Bella.

Alice smiled a smile of relief to see her brother before gracefully getting up and getting out of Bella's room before the human could even register it.

"Edward?" Bella snapped her head up as fast as she could to see her marble angel smiling down at her, and Alice nowhere to be seen.

"Bella…don't cry." Edward knelt down in front of her, wiping her eyes.

"I was so worried about you." Bella threw herself around Edward's shoulders.

Edward held her back, inhaling her intoxicating scent. "I am sorry I ran off…I just needed time to calm down."

Bella nodded, but her eyes still held worry. "Edward…Mike is going to come after you. My dad said he is pressing charges and…" Bella began to get worked up again.

"Shh…" Edward soothed her, pulling her close to him. "I know…its fine…Carlisle will figure it all out…it will be fine." He kissed the top of her head and immediately felt relief flow through her body. After a moment, he could tell she was relaxed and pulled away from her. "Please don't worry about it…it's not good for the little one." He smiled his crooked smile and lightly touched Bella's pregnant belly. He didn't care that it was not his child she was carrying, he already loved it, because it was a part of her.

Bella just nodded, placing her hand on top of Edward's that lay on her belly.

Suddenly, the sound of Charlie's engine filled Bella's room and her eyes filled with panic. "Charlie is home."

"Relax." Edward couldn't help but smile. "He won't even know I was here." He gently kissed the top of Bella's head. "I can't go to school…not with everyone looking for me…but I'll figure out a way to see you tomorrow."

"Please…let me know everything that is going on." Bella asked.

"Of course…" Edward nodded.

Bella nodded back and then pulled Edward toward her, kissing him with such forced, wanting to remember every inch of his lips.

And then, Edward was gone and Bella heard Charlie's footsteps coming up the stairs. She quickly flipped over in her bed, pretending to be asleep.

A second later, Bella's bedroom door opened and Charlie poked his head in, satisfied to see his pregnant daughter asleep in her bed and alone. As far as he was concerned, Edward Cullen was not only the cause for his daughter's first broken heart, but now an actual physical danger to Bella, and Charlie would not risk his daughter being near someone who had so easily snapped Mike Newton's collarbone.


	20. Deciding When to Leave

Disclaimer: All characters and things associated with The Twilight Saga belong to Stephanie Meyers. This writing is for pure entertainment only.

Summary: Set during New Moon. After Edward leaves, Bella is miserable and Jacob is there for her until things go too far between them, leaving Bella in an unexpected condition. When Edward returns how will Bella explain her situation to him? B/E B/J pairings

**Chapter 20**

Bella slowly pulled herself out of bed after hitting her alarm off. It had been two weeks since Edward had sent Mike to the hospital, and Bella was growing more tired with her day. School was taking so much out of her now, as she was nearly eight months pregnant, and Edward was nowhere to be found, leaving her to fend for herself in the vicious hallways of Forks High School.

The Cullen's had decided it be best for Edward to lay low, pretending as though he had run off, since the Newton family were still pursuing charges. Every time the police questioned one of the Cullen's they said they had no idea where Edward had gone off to. By now, most of the police believed Edward had run away, but not Charlie. He still didn't trust Edward.

Since Edward was in hiding, he obviously did not go to school, and Bella was left alone, for the most part, except for the occasional day Alice would show up, which was few and far between. She continued to put on the front that her family was desperately trying to find Edward, but the truth was that Alice was just trying to seem as unsuspicious as possible.

A knock on the door broke Bella from her train of thought, as she was trying to decide which sweatshirt would better hide her enormous stomach.

"It's open." Bella said, knowing it was Charlie on the other side. No one else ever knocked; no one else ever used the door to come in her room.

"How you feeling this morning?" Charlie poked his head in.

Bella turned to face her father, sighing as she pointed to her huge belly. "As good as possible with _this _hanging off of me."

"Almost over." Charlie reminded her of the month left she had of being pregnant. "Speaking of…we need to get a crib and stuff in here soon." He glanced around her room.

"Yeah…" Bella agreed halfheartedly. Truthfully, she did not even know if she would be back after the baby was born. She knew she and Edward had to keep the child safe, and right now, Forks was the most dangerous place for all of them.

"Okay then." Charlie nodded after a moment. "Well, I am going to run to work and, Bells, if you hear…"

"I know, I know…if I hear from Edward I need to tell you." Bella nodded, rolling her eyes. Charlie had said the same thing to her every single morning. He was obsessed with finding Edward and locking him up.

"Right." Charlie nodded, and then exited Bella's room.

The second the door closed, Edward was at Bella's side, having come in through the window.

"He really wants to catch me." Edward said with a smile in Bella's ear.

"Too bad he won't." Bella turned, kissing Edward.

"Oh yeah?" Edward raised an eyebrow. "How do you know?"

"Because I won't let him…" Bella leaned closer to Edward and then glanced down at her stomach with an alarmed look.

"What is it?" Edward asked immediately.

Bella's shocked look turned into a smile and she pulled Edward's hand toward her belly. "Someone else missed you."

Edward felt the baby inside of Bella kick and he smiled. It didn't matter to him that it was Jacob's baby, what matter was that Bella wanted him in her child's life. "Well, that baby won't miss me for long…"

"Why is that?" Bella asked.

"Because you are coming over after school." Edward said, matter-of-factly.

"I am?" Bella asked.

"Please?" Edward pretended to beg. "Just for a little?"

"I am sure that can be arranged." Bella smiled back. "Charlie is working overtime today."

"Good."Edward smiled, kissing Bella on the forehead. "See you after school."

And with that, Edward was gone, leaving Bella alone in her room to get ready for school.

* * *

Bella sat in the school cafeteria alone. Alice was not in school, which was not unusual these days, and Bella didn't mind the quiet. She sat, nibbling at her sandwich and rubbing circles on her swollen belly as Jacob's child continued to kick her.

Suddenly, she felt someone next to her and looked up, to see Mike Newton looking down at her with his arm in a cast. Mike said nothing, but pulled the chair out next to Bella.

Bella sheepishly glanced up at Mike, before returning her gaze to the sandwich in front of her.

"So you're just going to ignore me now?" Mike asked.

"What do you want me to say, Mike?" Bella asked back.

"Maybe apologize? Something like that?" Mike said.

Bella shrugged, finding an odd wave of confidence rush over her. "I didn't do anything wrong."

"And I did?" Mike was surprised Bella had spoken up.

"Edward told you to leave." Bella reminded Mike.

"I was just watching out for you…like your dad asked me to." Mike said. "Plus…he seems to have been right. Edward looks like he walked out on you again."

Bella glared at Mike. "Don't worry about me and Edward…"

"Oh, I'm not worried." Mike stood up, slamming his chair and causing Bella to flinch. "But Edward will pay for this!" He held up his cast and then stormed away from Bella.

Bella sat for a moment, slightly shaken by Mike's temper. She could feel her child was also shaken as the baby's kicks had been more rapid. Bella decided she would call it an early day at school, knowing she would not make it through the rest of the day without having a breakdown. She just wanted to get to Edward.

* * *

Jacob stood by a creek in the woods. He was starving and waiting to catch a fish. They were still running north, but Jacob knew he was running out of time and land. The pack would soon begin to question things.

"Jacob?" Sam's voice bellowed in the woods.

Jacob turned to see Sam fast approaching. He stood up straight, flexing his muscles. "Hey. "

"We need to talk." Sam said.

"Sure." Jacob squared his chest to Sam's. "What's up?"

"I know you're hiding something." Sam said, point blank.

"I'm not hiding anything." Jacob said, trying his best to mask his nervousness. "Why would you say that?"

"Because you haven't phased in weeks." Sam said. "You don't want us to read your mind…I am not stupid."

"Sam…I…" Jacob started.

"No." Sam shook his head. "You don't need to explain. I'll figure it out…and when I do you and whatever or whoever you are hiding will pay." With that Sam turned, leaving Jacob alone by the river.

Jacob stood there, his mind racing. He did not know what to do, but he knew he needed to do something. If Sam figured him out, both Bella and their child were in huge danger. Jacob could not allow that to happen.

* * *

Bella pulled her red truck up the Cullen's long driveway. She knew Edward had expected her to be over after school, but since she had left school early, and did not want to be alone, she decided she would just go over to the Cullen's earlier.

Bella put her truck in park and slowly eased her massively pregnant body out of it. Within seconds, Alice's tiny hands were around Bella's waste, helping to support the mother-to-be as she walked around the truck and up the stairs to the Cullen's front door.

"I heard your car from a mile away." Alice told Bella, who was surprised to see the little pixie of a vampire. "You really should let Edward buy you a new car."

"My truck has character." Bella told Alice, and then turned, hugging the vampire. She had missed her best friend.

"So I take it Mike had a nice conversation with you at lunch today…" Alice sighed as she opened the front door for Bella.

Bella waddled in the Cullen's home. "You knew he was going to come up to me?"

"I had a vision about it…but I figured it best to let it be." Alice told Bella.

"Well…it certainly wasn't pleasant…" Bella sighed.

Alice nodded, she had seen Mike's behavior and she knew exactly how rude he was. "Well…Mike Newton just needs to grow up a little."

"A lot." Bella sighed, slowly moving into the kitchen where she found Esme reading a magazine.

"Bella!" Esme smiled, glancing up at the pregnant teenager.

"Hey Esme." Bella waddled over to the vampire and gave her a hug.

"What are you doing here?" Esme asked, knowing Charlie had ordered Bella to stay as far away from the Cullen's as possible since the altercation between Edward and Mike.

"I came to see Edward." Bella told her. "Charlie is working overtime tonight so…"

Esme nodded, understanding Charlie had no idea Bella was over there. "Well, Edward and everyone else went out for a hunt." Esme looked at the clock. "They should be back fairly soon."

Bella nodded. "I knew I was a little early."

"Well, nothing to worry about." Esme smiled. "How are you feeling anyway?"

"Ready for this one to come out." Bella rubbed her abnormally large stomach. Jacob's child was growing bigger by the day and she still had a month to go.

"Not too much longer though." Esme reminded her.

"Yeah…" Bella rolled her eyes, easing herself into a seat at the kitchen table that the Cullen's never used. "Then the fun will_ really_ begin."

"I'm sensing sarcasm." Esme stated.

"I am just worried…about the baby being safe…" Bella explained.

"There is nothing to worry about, Bella." Alice assured her. "I would see if anything were coming."

"Not if it was the wolf pack." Bella reminded Alice she could not see the wolves or their effects on anyone's futures.

"You still have nothing to worry about." Edward's velvet voice filled the kitchen as he strolled in, his god-like body gracefully moving toward Bella as his lips kissed her forehead softly. "I'll always protect you." He reached down and touched her pregnant stomach. "And anyone else who comes along."

"How adorable…" Alice grinned at Edward.

Edward's lips curled into a smile as he shook his head at Alice. "I try."

"Where is everyone else?" Esme asked, noticing Edward had returned from the hunt alone.

"Still hunting." Edward told his mother. "I smelt Bella…so I came back early."

"Did you eat?" Bella asked.

Edward widened his eyes so that she could see they were a beautiful shade of gold. "All full."

Bella giggled, noticing that for the first time in a long time, Edward seemed almost playful. "Good."

"Do you want to go upstairs?" Edward asked Bella.

"Sure." Bella took the hand Edward offered her and allowed her pregnant weight to lean into him as she slowly stood. She then allowed him to gracefully lift her up and carry her up the stairs toward his room.

"He is so alive with her around." Esme commented about Edward.

Alice nodded in agreement, knowing that Esme was right. Edward was like a different person with Bella. He was so light, and adorable, and he smiled. When they had first left Forks months earlier, Alice was worried she would never see Edward smile again.

* * *

Edward gently placed Bella down on his bed, the bed only she really used. He then moved to the television at the foot of it and flicked it on before making his way back to the bed, and laying down next to Bella.

"Movie?" Edward asked.

"You seem very carefree today." Bella noticed.

"I am not allowed to be in a good mood?" Edward asked.

"You are…I'm just wondering why…" Bella said, rubbing small circles as her baby kicked her stomach.

Edward shrugged. "Truthfully? Just being with you makes me in a better mood."

"That is cheesy." Bella stated.

Edward nodded. "Yes it is…but it's true." He bent his head, kissing Bella's pregnant stomach. He knew it wasn't his baby in there, but he did not care, he would love it no matter what, even if it was part werewolf.

They watched the movie for a good while before Bella spoke. "Mike came up to me in school today."

"Oh?" Edward glanced up, his eyes more serious now. "What happened?"

Bella shook her head, sighing, and trying to shake the chill that rose up her arm as she thought about her earlier encounter with Mike. "He just said you would pay…for what you did."

Edward chuckled a bit.

"It's not funny!" Bella slapped Edward in the arm but not very hard, knowing it would not hurt him either way. "He was serious…and if Charlie ever catches you…"

"Charlie won't." Edward said. "And even if he does, so they put me in jail. Big deal…I would be out in no time."

"I just hate all of this…the sneaking around, hiding from everyone…the constant fear that something might happen…" Bella's eyes fell on her pregnant stomach. She always feared the worst for her unborn child.

"It's just one more month of this." Edward reminded her, wrapping his arms around her. "Once the baby is born…we can leave, if you want. You're eighteen, and it would probably be safer for the baby to get it away from here, from La Push."

"Really?" Bella perked up at the idea. She always thought they would go eventually, but she did not think it would be so soon after the baby was born.

"If you would like..." Edward told her, kissing her head softly. "I did want you to finish high school…but that may be impossible at this point."

"I don't care about high school." Bella's dark brown eyes met Edward's golden orbs. "I just want to be with you…and know my baby is safe."

"Then we will leave." Edward said, and then checked his watch. "What time did you say Charlie was going to be home?"

"Eight." Bella said lazily. "Why?"

"Because its quarter after seven now…" Edward told her.

"What?" Bella would have jumped up if her stomach had not been so large.

"Relax…it doesn't take forty-five minutes to get home…even in your truck." Edward joked lightly.

Bella glared at Edward. "Just get me downstairs." She put her arms up, indicating she wanted him to carry her. The weight of the baby often made her tired, and she never turned down a free ride from Edward.

Edward chuckled lightly and then grabbed Bella up in his arms, kissing her passionately before moving down the stairs with her and toward the front door, so she could get her into her truck easily.

* * *

Jacob paced in a clearing a few yards from the camp the wolves had set up. He was debating leaving, running back to Forks, to warn Bella and Edward that the wolves were on to him; that they needed to keep the child that he and Bella had conceived safe.

A rustle from the bush behind him caught Jacob's attention, breaking his train of thought as he turned to see Paul and Jared enter the clearing.

"What are you doing out here?" Paul asked.

"Uh…just thinking…" Jacob said, not exactly lying.

"Well dude, you need to stop acting like this." Jared said.

"Like what?" Jacob could feel a slight rush of panic run through his veins.

"Just…this…" Jared motioned to Jacob. "You're making Sam think you're hiding something…"

"Yeah…he talked to me." Jacob said. "I don't know what he thinks I could be hiding…"

"Well, he is probably just stressed out that we haven't found Bella or those Cullen's yet…" Jared said. "But you have got to start acting a little less nuts."

Jacob gave an uneasy laugh. "Well, I'll work on it."

"Seriously…" Paul raised an eyebrow a bit.

"I said I'll work on it." Jacob repeated himself more sternly and then relaxed a bit, noticing the worried glances that ran across Jared and Paul's faces. "I mean…I am stressed out too…I just want this to be over with…the faster we find Bella the better."

Paul smiled at Jacob's response and patted him on the back. "That's what we like to hear."

"Let's go back by Sam before he gets any other ideas." Jared suggested, moving back through the woods he and Paul had come through.

Jacob nodded and followed the other two members of his pack back through the brush, still extremely worried about Bella and his unborn child but he was glad at least Paul and Jared believed him. He hoped that would buy him some time.

* * *

Edward had gotten Bella home with time to spare before Charlie was even close to arriving, and so Bella decided to start on dinner. She waddled her way around the kitchen knowing she looked even more ungraceful with her huge pregnant belly than she had prior to her pregnancy. She quickly picked up a box of macaroni and threw it into a pot of boiling water, eyeing the clock as she heard Charlie's cruiser pull up to the house.

After a few minutes, she heard the front door open and close.

"Bella?" Charlie called out.

"In the kitchen." Bella responded.

Charlie made his way into the kitchen to find his very pregnant daughter stirring a pot of macaroni. "Here." He moved forward, taking the spoon from her hand. "Let me stir. You sit."

"It's almost done." Bella told him, but complied, wanting to get off her feet. She quickly pulled her chair out and sat, watching Charlie drain the noodles before throwing the jar of cold sauce over them and putting them on two plates.

"Done." Charlie turned, placing one plate in front of Bella before taking a seat across her with his own.

Bella eyed the perfectly good macaroni that Charlie had ruined with cold sauce before deciding she wasn't hungry. Charlie didn't seem to notice as he dug into his own plate.

"How was work?" Bella asked, nonchalantly. After her conversation with Edward earlier, she realized her time with Charlie was now limited and she knew she would miss him when she had to move in order to keep her baby safe.

"Slow." Charlie said. "How was school?"

"Equally slow." Bella sighed.

"Mike is back now, isn't he?" Charlie asked, with a mouthful of food.

Bella rolled her eyes. "Oh…he is, and he is as charming as ever."

"What do you mean?" Charlie looked up from his food.

"He just…wasn't very nice to me today." Bella said simply.

"He is just bent out of shape over his arm…and rightfully so. When we find Edward…" Charlie started, but then stopped, noticing Bella looked away at the mention of Edward. He sighed. "Speaking of Edward, have you heard from him?"

Bella snapped her head up, eyeing Charlie carefully. "No." She lied.

Charlie nodded, not wanting to press his daughter further he decided to change the subject. "So…the baby is coming soon."

Bella nodded, rubbing her swollen belly and looking down at it lovingly, knowing she would do whatever it would take to keep her unborn child safe.

"And so I think we should start discussing plans for that." Charlie said, taking another bit of his dinner.

Bella again nodded, knowing it would please her father to discuss the subject of her baby, but also knowing she would only be doing it to humor him. Bella knew once the baby was born she would have to leave and hide with Edward and the rest of the Cullen's in order to ensure her child's safety. "Sure. What do you want to know?"

"Well…I mean…don't you think it's time to…maybe get in touch with Jacob?" Charlie eyed his food for a moment before looking up to meet Bella's blank expression. "He…he is the baby's father."

Bella just shook her head. "Jacob isn't around to get in touch with. Even if I wanted to, I couldn't." She knew her word weren't a lie. After all, Jacob was out running around the mountains of Canada, trying his best to keep their unborn child safe.

"What do you mean?" Charlie asked.

"I just mean…he isn't here…he won't be here, for the baby when it's born…I don't know when he will be…" Bella sighed, knowing these words were also true.

"Bella, Billy told me Jake is still out there looking for you. It is only a matter of time before he comes back and when he realizes you have been here…" Charlie started.

"Well…even so he may not be back before the baby is born." Bella decided to humor Charlie, knowing Jacob would never really return.

"That is true." Charlie nodded, knowing Bella had less over a month left before the baby would arrive and there was still no sign of Jacob. "So, if he doesn't make it back what do you expect to do? In the hospital and such…"

"Well, I guess you will be there with me, right?" Bella asked.

"If you want." Charlie said.

"Well, the only other person I want to be there would be arrested by you if he showed up…" Bella sighed and rubbed her enormous belly, looking out the window as she thought of Edward.

Charlie's face immediately went red, knowing Bella was referring to Edward. "You're damn right I would! And with good reason! That Cullen kid is no good for you, Bella, and he deserves to go to jail after what he did to Mike Newton."

"Mike deserved it…" Bella said.

"No one deserves to have their arm fractured like that." Charlie snapped before narrowing his eyes at his pregnant daughter. "And I know you know where Edward is."

Bella just stared coldly up at Charlie, which only caused her father to grow more angry.

"And when I find him and lock him up, it will be with the satisfaction of knowing he will never bat an eyelash at you again!" Charlie added.

Charlie's threat caused Bella's unborn child to begin to kick rapidly. Apparently even Jacob's child did not like the idea of not having Edward Cullen around. Bella quickly ran her hand over her stomach before pushing her chair out from the table and stomping up the stairs, fighting back the tears in her eyes at her father's angry words.

* * *

Bella could not help herself as she slammed the door to her bedroom, she could feel the tears rising in her eyes. She hated how much Charlie disliked Edward, knowing if Charlie had any clue how good Edward truly was to her, he would not be so harsh.

In a second, cold hands wrapped around Bella's trembling pregnant frame.

"Bella…shh…" Edward kissed the top of Bella's head which only caused her to cry more.

"You don't deserve what Charlie says about you…" Bella managed out.

"Bella…he has his reasons and I can't blame him, and neither should you." Edward led her to her bed and sat her down, firmly holding her quivering hands between his steady ones. "I don't want you fighting with him, especially not when you may have such limited time left with him."

Bella said nothing, letting her eyes drift to her pregnant stomach.

Edward sighed. "Maybe I should just turn myself in. That would make things better for you and Charlie."

Bella's eyes immediately darted up to Edward. "What? No!"

"It would make Charlie less suspicious of you…and he would stop fighting…" Edward said.

"I don't care about fighting with him!" Bella snapped, blaming her hormones for her sudden change in attitude.

"Bella…" Edward said softly.

"Let him fight with me, you are not turning yourself in." Bella said.

"The stress of the fighting is not good…for either of you." Edward lay his hand on her protruding belly, over Jacob's child. "It would only be for another month…and then we would leave anyway."

Bella shook her head firmly. "I need you…especially now. I can't do this alone." She rubbed her stomach for emphasis.

"Well, there really are no other options. I won't risk your health over something so silly." Edward said.

"Then let's just leave…earlier. I would rather that then you be in jail and away from me for any amount of time." Bella told him.

Edward sighed, saying nothing and kissing the top of Bella's head. He wished she was not always so stubborn.

* * *

Sam stood alone in the camp, waiting for Paul, Jared, and Jacob to return when he felt the rush of confusion and fear hit his body. He knew instantly what it meant; he knew someone all the way back in La Push had phased. He knew Embry had become a wolf.

As if on cue, Jacob, Paul, and Jared came through the trees and to the small camp site.

"We have to leave." Sam said immediately.

"Why? Did you pick up a trail?" Paul was hopeful, wanting to get to Bella and get everything over with.

"No. Something else." Sam said. "Something back at La Push."

"At La Push?" Jacob tried to sound casual, but he could feel the fear run down his spine, knowing things would only get out of hand very quickly if they headed back to La Push.

Sam nodded. "Embry...he phased."

"Embry is a wolf now?" Jared smiled. "Took long enough..."

"We have to get back to him. He is confused...alone..." Sam recalled how he had been when he had become a wolf.

"But...Bella...the Cullen's." Jacob pointed in the direction of the north, the opposite from La Push.

"We will find them." Sam said. "After we help Embry. They can not run from us forever."

Jacob just swallowed hard, knowing they would go back to La Push whether he wanted to or not. Now he knew his soul mission was to warn Bella and the rest of the Cullen's.


	21. Changing All of The Plans

Disclaimer: All characters and things associated with The Twilight Saga belong to Stephanie Meyers. This writing is for pure entertainment only.

Summary: Set during New Moon. After Edward leaves, Bella is miserable and Jacob is there for her until things go too far between them, leaving Bella in an unexpected condition. When Edward returns how will Bella explain her situation to him? B/E B/J pairings

**Chapter 21**

A week had passed and Bella was more anxious than ever. Charlie had not lightened up one bit about the Edward situation. If anything, he and the Newton's had made finding Edward the top priority of the Fork's police department.

All of the talk of capturing Edward that buzzed around school made Bella even more anxious, and she avoided school as much as possible, spending most of her days at the Cullen's and Alice would drop Bella off before Charlie arrived at home.

Today was different, however. Bella arrived at the Cullen's like any other day, but was not met by Edward's beautiful face. Instead, Alice met Bella in the driveway.

"Where is Edward?" Bella asked through her open window.

Alice was at Bella's side in a flash, helping the hugely pregnant girl out of her old truck. "He went hunting with Jasper and Emmett."

"Oh." Bella could not hide her disappointment. Every time she was away from Edward she feared that he was off, turning himself into Charlie to relieve some of the anger and frustration that was going on between Bella and her father.

Alice seemed to sense Bella's worry. "Relax, Jasper said he would make sure Edward did not do anything stupid. Although, I don't understand why you won't let him turn himself in…"

"I need him around right now." Bella said as she put one hand on her stomach and the other on the small of her back to support her extra weight.

Alice helped Bella up the stairs and into the house where Carlisle, Esme, and Rosalie all sat in the living room.

"Bella!" Esme smiled a warm smile and hugged the pregnant girl. "Wow…is it possible you got even _bigger_?"

Bella blushed a little bit, looking down at her stomach. She still had three weeks to go, although she looked like she should have given birth yesterday. "I think it may be."

Esme smiled again, trying to comfort Bella's blush. "Its only a few more weeks."

Bella just nodded, and then practically jumped out of her skin as Emmett and Jasper came barreling through the door laughing hysterically, followed by a soaking wet Edward who did not seem to find their joke assuming.

"Edward?" Bella was immediately concerned, moving toward his soaking wet frame. "What happened?"

"Edward had to hide…in the lake." Emmett continued to laugh as he went toward Rosalie and picked her up, twirling her around.

"Hide?" Carlisle raised an eyebrow. "From what?"

"Charlie." Emmett continued to laugh.

Bella's face lost all color at Emmett's word. "Charlie?"

"Don't worry about it." Edward assured her, kissing her head softly. "I need to get changed." And with that he was up the stairs faster than Bella could blink.

"What happened?" Bella immediately turned to Jasper and Emmett.

"Charlie was in the woods…we were coming down from a hunt." Jasper said, taking his rightful place next to Alice. "We were walking, joking around…Charlie must have heard us…he and another cop began coming toward us."

"Why didn't you just run out of there?" Bella asked, confused and worried.

"We couldn't." Emmett said. "They had already seen us." He had lost some of the humor in his voice seeing how upset Bella was.

"So…Emmett and I stayed and spoke with Charlie and Edward jumped in the lake next to us and waited for Charlie to leave." Jasper concluded their story.

"What did Charlie say to you?" Bella pressed.

"Just that he was looking for Edward, and he would find him." Emmett laughed again. "Like we would let that happen."

"You almost did." Rosalie rolled her eyes at Emmett.

"I'll have to keep a better watch out." Alice said.

"No need." Edward was back at Bella's side, changed and dry. "I don't think I'll need to feed before we leave…its only a few weeks."

"No…it's not." Bella said instantly. She had made up her mind; she did not care what anyone else thought. "I want to leave and I want to leave now. I can't constantly be worried that Charlie is going to find you."

"It doesn't matter if he does, Bella." Edward told her. "Either way he can't hold me here."

"I don't want to stay here…it's just a danger." Bella said. "What's the difference if we leave now or in three weeks?"

"Well, in three weeks you won't be in such a fragile state…" Edward placed a hand on her pregnant stomach for emphasis.

"It doesn't matter." Bella pushed his hand away.

Edward glanced up at Carlisle for some help.

"Bella, Edward is right. In your condition, moving is just not an option right now." Carlisle spoke calmly. "Once the baby is born, it will be different, but right now it is simply not going to happen."

Bella crossed her arms, but knew Carlisle's decision was final. She would have to wait to give birth until she could leave and she, her baby, and the Cullen's would all be safe.

"It will be fine. Really, I can handle myself." Edward kissed the top of her head, trying his best to reassure her and smiled a bit when he felt her relax a little in his arms. He did not want to worry her about any more then she had to worry about right now.

* * *

Jacob knew he was racing against the clock. Each day that passed drew them closer to La Push, and therefore, closer to Edward and Bella and Jacob's unborn child. He was so mad at Embry for phasing right now. He knew Bella only had a handful of weeks left before she would have their baby, and he knew Edward would have a plan to move them all to safety.

Jacob shook his head as he helped Sam clean up the campsite for the night, unable to believe he now trusted a vampire, a Cold One, more than his own pack. It seemed absurd to him, and yet he knew it was the right thing to do. It was not that he hated his pack, he understood how they saw his child as a threat, but he still did not like the idea.

"You coming to bed, Jake?" Sam asked as he motioned to the tent behind them.

"No. I am going to stay out here a bit." Jacob said, pointing to the fire pit in the middle of the camp.

Sam just nodded and moved into the tent where the other wolves were.

Jacob then sat down on a log, near the fire. He knew he was running out of time and options. The only things he could do were either run back to Forks to warn Bella and Edward, risking the rest of the pack to follow and find him, or to continue to La Push with the pack and do all he could to deter them from looking for Bella or the Cullen's. Jacob knew he had limited time now to make the important decision.

* * *

Edward drove Bella home in relative silence, knowing Charlie would be home for work in an hour or so. He could tell she was just thinking over the events that had occurred while he had been hunting with Emmett and Jasper and he hated to see her worry like that.

"Bella…" Edward took her hand in his.

Bella immediately jumped at his cold touch, her mind clearly somewhere else, she turned to face him. "Sorry…what?"

"Please don't worry about me anymore." Edward told her, with a small crooked grin.

Bella just shook her head. "I just…I don't want anything to happen to you."

"It won't." Edward reassured her. "Relax please…both of you…" Edward placed a hand on Bella's pregnant belly feeling the baby kick. "Charlie will never find me."

However, as Edward turned the car around the corner and Bella's house came into plan view, his smile faded. There, in the drive, was Charlie's cruiser, parked home an hour early from work.

"Damn it…" Edward mumbled, noticing the car before Bella.

Immediately Bella perked up, seeing the car as well, her heart began to race. "Edward…you can't drop me off…you have to get out of here!"

"It's too late…" Edward nodded toward the window, where Charlie's head was visably poking out behind a curtain. "He seems me…"

"Edward!" Bella was in complete panic mode now.

"Just…get out of the car. I won't be far." Edward promised her, as he pulled the Volvo up to her house.

Bella nodded and complied, although she not understand. She got out of the car as fast as her pregnant frame would allow and barely shut the door before the Volvo was out of sight and Charlie was screaming at her from the front door.

"Damn it, Bella! Was that Edward?" Charlie seemed to growl.

Bella turned to see her father moving out of the house toward her, but she held firm, waddling up to him and glaring but saying nothing as she walked into the house.

Charlie's face went red and he marched in after his pregnant daughter, who was now in the living room, moving toward the stairs.

"I asked you if you knew where he was!" Charlie followed Bella. "You told me you didn't! You lied!"

"Why would I tell you the truth?" Bella turned, snapping at her father. "So you could take him from me? I need him right now!" Bella fought back the tears she felt forming in her eyes and cradled her pregnant stomach. "We both do…" She glanced at her belly for emphasis.

Bella's tears caused Charlie to calm down a little. "Bella…he is no good for you. Jake…"

"Jake is gone, dad." Bella glanced up at her father. "And he isn't coming back for me. And Edward is the best thing that has happened to me."

"That is where you are wrong." Charlie was growing angry again. "Because that Cullen kid is nothing but bad news."

"You don't even know him…" Bella said.

"I know what he did to you! That was enough!" Charlie was yelling again. "I was the one who had to deal with you in your zombie state! I had to pick up the pieces he left behind! He will _never_ be allowed to hurt you like that again! I will find him, you can bet that! And you won't see him again, do you hear me?"

"You can't stop me. I am eighteen." Bella told him.

"And you live in my house, so you are eighteen, pregnant, and grounded! Now get up stairs." Charlie folded his arms, stating the argument was over.

Bella glared at her father but was too upset to say anything else, so instead she climbed the stairs to her room as fast as her pregnant body would let her.

Edward stood very still in Bella's room, waiting for her to come in. He was still with anger, his stone-like hands clenched into tight fists. He did not like that Charlie had upset Bella downstairs and he did not like that he was the cause of the arguing between Bella and her father.

After a moment, the door open and Bella waddled in, her face streaked with tears. When she saw him, she instantly threw her arms around his rock hard body as best as her huge, pregnant stomach would allow.

"Shh…" Edward kissed the top of Bella's head. "You're okay."

Bella shook her head fiercely. "I can't stay here anymore…and neither can you, Edward." She pulled away to stare into his golden rimmed eyes.

"Bella…you heard Carlisle today…" Edward said softly. "We can't take you anywhere, not now." He placed a cold hand on her warm, swollen stomach, emphasizing they could not take her because of the baby.

"I don't care what Carlisle say, I know what I feel is the best thing for me…and for this one." Bella placed two hands on her pregnant stomach, one over the top of Edward's. "And it's best if we leave now…I can't stay here anymore."

"Bella…" Edward searched for the right words to say.

"Edward…please…trust me…" Bella seemed to beg.

Edward took a deep breath, shutting his eyes as he pulled her in for a close huge, inhaling the scent of her hair. He wanted to comfort the woman he loved, but in truth he was just as confused about what to do as Bella was certain she wanted to leave. He understood what Carlisle was saying, but he was also seeing what staying was doing to Bella. Maybe she was right; maybe they should just leave.

* * *

Jacob was so fidgety, he could not sleep. Instead, he sat outside the small tent the rest of the pack had set up and continued to deliberate his decision.

He knew, ultimately, he would make whatever sacrifices were needed in order to keep his unborn child safe, even if it meant he would never get the chance to see the child.

Jacob's eyes drifted off to the full moon at that moment, knowing that no matter what happened, no matter where he was, as long as he was able to keep Bella and their baby safe, then he and the child would always be looking up at the same moon, the same stars.

Jacob stood, sighing and glancing hard at the tent where the rest of his pack slept. His mind was made up; he knew what he would do. Quickly and quietly he sprinted off south, into the woods, in the direction of Forks. He had to warn Bella and Edward and give them a chance to put as much distance between themselves and his pack as possible.

* * *

Edward quickly made his way down the hall to Carlisle's office. It was late at night, and Bella had fallen asleep only moments ago, but as promised, Alice had quickly traded spots with Edward, staying with the sleeping Bella so he could return home for a bit to speak with Carlisle.

Edward quietly knocked on the door to Carlisle's office. "Carlisle?"

"Come in, Edward." Carlisle called out.

Edward did as his father requested and opened the door, stepping into the office with quick grace.

"Alice said you were coming to speak with me." Carlisle looked up from his seat at his desk.

"Yes." Edward nodded. "I…I wanted to talk to you about Bella."

Carlisle nodded and smiled a bit. "I figured that was what it was about…"

"Charlie saw me dropping her off today…" Edward began, watching the smile fade from his adopted father's face. "I mean, I left before he could do much, but he was angry and he…he took it out on Bella. He yelled at her…"

"I am sure he did not mean it." Carlisle spoke of Charlie.

"But that is the thing…I was in Charlie's head, and he did mean it. Never once, no matter what happened, has Charlie ever been angry, _furious _with Bella…." Edward clicked his teeth together in frustration. "But now he is. He is just so mad with her."

"He will resolve it." Carlisle said. "Charlie loves Bella."

"I know he does…but right now…he is not acting it, and she does not feel safe there." Edward shook his head. "And I don't feel like she is safe there." He quickly added.

"Why not?" Carlisle raised an eyebrow. "Do you think Charlie would hurt her?"

"No, never." Edward said quickly. "I just don't think the stress of fighting with him is good for Bella in her condition. She is truly unhappy there."

"So what would you like to do, Edward?" Carlisle asked his son.

"I want to make her happy. If she wants to leave…" Edward started but stopped when he saw Carlisle shaking his head.

"Edward, I have everything to take care of her here…" He motioned to the exam table he had set up in his office. "I can take care of her here…we don't know what that child will be like when it is born. It is safer for her here…"

"Then we let her stay here, away from Charlie." Edward said quickly.

"This is the first place he will look for her." Carlisle reasoned.

"Why are you so against doing what she wants?" Edward raised an eyebrow critically.

"I just want to be reasonable. I want us all to leave here together and safe." Carlisle said. "I don't want to risk anyone or anything."

"Except what Bella wants…" Edward sighed. "She knows what that baby is feeling and she is worried about it." Edward closed his eyes for a moment, developing a plan. "I will leave it up to her. If she wants to stay with us or Charlie until the baby is born. If she picks us, I will do whatever I need to in order to keep her safe here."

Carlisle nodded, knowing Edward would ultimately do whatever was best for Bella, and while he might not personally agree with it, he knew Edward only had Bella's best interests at heart, and Carlisle could respect his son for that.

* * *

Sam, Paul, and Jared all woke up at the exact same moment, as if their bodies were trained to react to each others, to make the same impulses. All three wolves rubbed the sleep from their eyes, feeling the warm sun through the tent walls on their already extremely warm skin.

Jared was the first to notice something different. He glanced around the tent. "Where is Jacob?"

"Probably outside." Paul said, still half asleep.

Sam perked up, noticing Jacob was gone. "Let's see." He quickly stood and was out of the tent within seconds. Once outside, he glanced around the campsite, seeing no sign of Jacob and only the remains of a smoldering fire. Immediately he growled.

Jared and Paul were both standing outside with Sam now, glancing around the campsite.

"Doesn't look like he has been out here in awhile…" Jared observed.

"That's because he hasn't." Sam sniffed the air, his jaw clenched. "His scent is weak…almost gone from the rain last night. He left awhile ago."

"Where the hell did he go?" Paul grumbled.

Sam's jaw continued to stay clenched. "I am not sure he is after Bella for the same reasons we are anymore…"

"What do you mean?" Jared asked.

"I think Jacob ran off to protect her, and the problem she is carrying in her womb." Sam said.

"You think?" Paul asked.

"He has been acting weird…" Jared acknowledged.

Sam nodded. "We only have one choice now. We have to go back and get Embry…then we hunt them all down…Bella, the baby, the Cullen's…Jacob…they are all a threat to us now."

Paul and Jared looked away, understanding Sam's concerns and words, but not truly wanting to turn their back on Jacob. He was, after all, a member of their pack. However, as Jared's eyes crept back to Sam's usual calm face for a moment, he could tell his leader was shattered; Sam did not truly want to harm Jacob anymore than anyone else did and Jared could see that. He could also see that this was truly their one and only option left; Jacob had thrown himself to the enemy, and now it was time to destroy that enemy.

* * *

It had been two days since Charlie had yelled and grounded Bella and he was starting to feel a little bad about it. He knew that in her condition, upsetting her the way he did was clearly the wrong thing to do. He also did not like the silent treatment he was receiving from his daughter, so with a sigh he knocked softly on Bella's bedroom door.

The knock surprised Bella, who had been half asleep on her bed because her unborn child had stopped playing the drums on her internal organs for a good hour. Bella knew that the important people who came in her room never knocked, instead they climbed through her bedroom window.

"It's open." Bella grumbled, half awake.

Slowly, the bedroom door opened and Charlie stuck his head in. "Bells? Could I come in for a minute?"

Bella was now wide awake; surprised her father was talking to her again. She was still holding her side of the grudge against him, she was mad he had reacted in such a terrible manner days earlier. Instead of answering his question she just sighed, closing her eyes and pretending to go back to sleep.

"Bella, please?" Charlie rolled his eyes, slumping his shoulders, but still making his way toward her bed. He sat down on the edge of it, jolting her slightly. "I hate to see you mad at me."

"So then don't be near me." Bella snapped, her eyes still closed. She knew her voice had come out meaner then she had intended, but she blamed that on her raging hormones.

"Bella…" Charlie sounded sterner now. "You know I am just trying to keep you safe. I would hate to see you hurt again…"

Bella's eyes immediately opened and she glared at her father. "Edward would never hurt me…not again. He promised."

"Bella…he just…he can't be trusted. He is not safe to be around…whether he hurts you mentally, like he has before, or physically, like he hurt Mike, one way or another he is going to hurt you again." Charlie said, almost as a fact.

"No." Bella was sitting up now, one hand wrapping around her pregnant stomach. "You don't even know him. Edward would never hurt me…"

"Bella, I saw how he hurt you." Charlie said softly, knowing the memories of the time Edward had left her were not something he or Bella liked to revisit often. "I was here…through it all. He is no good for you. Jacob on the other hand…"

"Jacob left me too." Bella reminded her father. "He hasn't come running back here." Bella knew it was a cheap shot, knowing Jacob was only staying away from her to protect their unborn child.

"Give Jake time…" Charlie sighed.

"Give Edward a chance." Bella snapped back.

Charlie just sighed, shaking his head. "Just tell me where that Cullen kid is. It would make things so much easier." He had wanted to smooth things over with Bella before he had asked such a question, but he could see now that was impossible, so he would have to be blunt.

"I am not going to let you just go and lock him up to keep him from me." Bella told her dad. "And you know that is why you are so gung-ho about finding Edward. The Newton's are probably over it already."

"So? Just make it easier for us all and tell me where he is. It's not the crisis you imagine. I might not even find the kid…" Charlie said, trying to be objective.

Bella just shook her head. "I won't betray Edward. Not like that…"

"Bella…he is just a boy. Boys come and go…and Edward has no reason to stay." Charlie motioned to Bella's protruding belly. "If anything he has more reason to leave." He knew it was a low blow but it was all he had.

Bella wrapped her arm around her pregnant stomach, as if to protect the baby inside that she had created with Jacob; the baby that Edward had promised to love and take care of. "Don't do this, Dad. Don't make me choose between you and Edward…" Bella's eyes dropped, unable to look Charlie in the face. "Because it will be him…" She mumbled.

"Excuse me?" Charlie wasn't sure if he was hard of hearing or it Bella had in fact just said something terrible to him.

"I said, I would pick him…if I had to choose." Bella's head rose, but her eyes stayed shut as she spoke so she did not have to look at Charlie's expression. "I would pick Edward." She opened her eyes now to see Charlie's face ten different shades of red.

"That kid over me? Over your own flesh and blood…" Charlie's jaw was clenched tight and he stood quickly. "You know something, Bella? You are unbelievable. I don't even know what happened to the little girl I raised."

Before Bella could react, Charlie was out the door and Edward was climbing through the window, wrapping his cold arms around her shocked form. He knew she would start crying any second and he could not be more right, because once he had his stone arms secured around Bella she began to sob uncontrollably.

"Shhh…" Edward whispered into Bella's hair, kissing the top of her head. "It's going to be okay, Bella." And Edward meant that, as he cradled her in his arms. He would do whatever it would take to make Bella happy again, to make the fighting between her and Charlie stop.

After a moment, Bella got her sobbing under control and she was able to glance up at Edward's unchanging face. "Sorry…" She mumbled.

"Don't be." Edward said, evenly, though his expression exposed his anger. "He shouldn't have upset you like that."

Bella just shook her head sadly, in agreement.

"I won't let him do that to you again." Edward promised her.

"It's not your fault…" Bella said.

"Still, I hate to see you like this." Edward sighed, wrapping his cool fingers through her warm ones and resting both of their hands on her enormous stomach. "I'll do whatever you want, to make these last few weeks bearable for you until we can leave…just name it."

"You know what I want to do." Bella told him.

Edward nodded. "You want to leave."

Bella nodded back.

"But we can't." Edward reminded her. "Carlisle won't allow it."

"Then I want to be with you." Bella told him. "I want to stay with you until the baby comes. I am an adult, I am eighteen, I can move out whenever I want." She nuzzled into his stone chest.

Edward sighed, knowing that this was the only way to keep Bella happy and safe. She would have to move in with them. It was not that Edward, or any of his family minded this, but Edward could not say he was at complete ease with the plan. He knew it would deeply upset Charlie, and had the potential of causing problems with both Charlie and the police he commanded as chief.


	22. Moving Out and Coming Home

Disclaimer: All characters and things associated with The Twilight Saga belong to Stephanie Meyers. This writing is for pure entertainment only.

Summary: Set during New Moon. After Edward leaves, Bella is miserable and Jacob is there for her until things go too far between them, leaving Bella in an unexpected condition. When Edward returns how will Bella explain her situation to him? B/E B/J pairings

**Chapter 22**

Bella was excited, and it showed in her packing, as she gently tossed anything and everything she could fit from her tiny room into two suitcases on her bed. She had gotten her way, she was moving in with the Cullen's, away from Charlie and his biased views.

Edward stood over Bella's shoulder, a worried look on his face. He did not help her pack, he was too lost in his own thoughts.

"Are you going to make me waddle down the stairs with these bags?" Bella asked, cradling her pregnant stomach in her hands.

Edward's head snapped toward the sound of Bella's voice, and he realized she was done packing. "Are you sure this is what you want to do?"

"I can't stay here, and I want to be with you. So yes, this is exactly what I want to do." Bella studied Edward's worried eyes and then took a deep breath, looking down at her protruding belly. "Unless…you don't want me to stay with you."

Edward was instantly at Bella's side, wrapping his arms around her and her stomach and kissing her lightly on the forehead. "Of course I want you to stay with me. I want to be with you always, Bella. I just…I don't want things with Charlie to get out of hand."

"They already are." Bella reminded him. "You know I can't stay here…not when he is like this."

Edward sighed, knowing Bella's words were true. "Right. Let's get out of here then." With his right hand, he grabbed the two suitcases off of Bella's bed and then lifted her in his left arm, not even swaying under her weight. He then proceeded down the stairs with her and toward the door.

"Wait." Bella said.

"What?" Edward looked down at the pregnant girl he was cradling.

"I want to leave Charlie a note." Bella said.

Edward nodded and put Bella gently down in the kitchen.

Bella quickly moved toward the counter, grabbing a pen and a piece of scrap paper before scribbling down her words._ Charlie, I left. You know I couldn't stay, not when things are like this, not when __**you**__ are like this. You know I am safe wherever I am and that I will always love you, I just love __**him**__ too. You know what I mean by that, and I am sorry it had to be this way. Please don't come looking for me. I know what is best for me and this baby. I love you, dad. Thanks for everything._

After she finished the note, Bella turned back to Edward who was glancing over her shoulder at what she had written, she quickly, turned, blocking the note with her unusually large frame. "That is none of your business."

Edward only nodded. "Ready to go?"

"Ready." Bella smiled, wrapping her hand around Edward's free one and allowing him to lead her out of Charlie's house and toward his silver Volvo.

* * *

Jacob neared Forks but his legs would not slow down. He had a debate in front of him, and he was still unsure of which path he would choose. He had two options; the first, he could go to Embry and try to explain everything to him before Sam got to him. Jacob was sure his friend would listen to him. Or, his second option was to go straight to the Cullen's home, knowing Bella would be there, and warn them.

Jacob could not decide, but he knew he needed to soon. The pack would only be so far behind him.

After a quick minute, Jacob turned in the direction of La Push, running as fast as his human form would allow. He could not risk phasing now and having the pack hear his thoughts. He hoped Embry would listen to him, and help me. He hoped he could count on at least one of his friends to take his side.

* * *

Edward parked his Volvo in the driveway and sighed. The ride to his house with Bella had been rather quiet; he did not really know what to say to her. He could tell she was happy to be away from Charlie and happy to be moving in with his family and if it had been under better circumstances, he would have been just excited, but it was not and therefore he could not feel the same wave of enthusiasm as Bella was feeling

It seemed like mere seconds from when Edward parked the car to when Alice, Jasper, and Emmett were outside moving toward the Volvo. Emmett and Jasper grabbed Bella's bags from the backseat and Alice helped Bella out of the car, knowing her pregnant belly only made the already clumsy Bella that much more uncoordinated.

"Thanks, Alice." Bella smiled at the little vampire.

Alice just nodded back, but her eyes were worried as she glanced back to Edward who was walking around the front of the car at human speed.

"What?" Edward's brow creased. He could tell something was wrong with Alice.

Alice shook her head, trying to put her best smile on as she took a deep breath. "Nothing." She smiled.

"Alice…" Bella narrowed her eyes and placed one hand on the small of her back, which was killing her.

"I just…had a vision." Alice said.

"And?" Edward pressed, immediately worried. He knew taking Bella from her home would have consequences.

"Well…Charlie won't be very happy with the note you left him." Alice told them.

"Great…" Edward mumbled, too low for Bella's human ears to hear as he gently moved to lift her up the stairs and into his home. He hoped that, whatever Charlie decided to do, it would not upset Bella too much. He knew he could handle Charlie, but he was unsure if Bella could deal with one more outburst or attack from her father in her current condition.

* * *

Charlie sighed, running a hand through his hair as he sat in his cruiser outside of his house. He looked up to his home and his eyes fell on Bella's window. He knew he needed to apologize to her; he knew stressing his daughter out while she was so pregnant was not a good thing, and he knew that if he kept up his act of constantly trying to persecute Edward Cullen, it would only drive Bella further away. He knew, no matter what, he would eventually find Edward, but that in the mean time, he did not need to constantly be reminding Bella why Edward was a bad thing for her.

Charlie secretly hoped Jacob would return home soon, just in time to step up and be a father to the child Bella was carrying. He hoped, if Bella saw how good Jacob was with the baby, that maybe she would change her mind again and forget about Edward.

Charlie laughed to himself; he knew the chances of Bella ever letting Edward go were slim to none. Still, he could dream.

Charlie then quickly got out of the car, shielding the incoming rain with his hand, and moved toward his front door, letting himself in his house.

"Bella?" Charlie called out, shaking his wet jacket off and putting his gun down.

"Bells? You home?" Charlie yelled up the stairs and then his eyebrows creased together when he got no response. "Wonder where she is?" He mumbled to himself.

Charlie then moved into the kitchen, grabbing a beer from the refrigerator when something on the table caught his eye. He moved over to it, realizing it was the note from Bella. He quickly picked it up, scanning it a few times, his face becoming a deeper shade of anger each time.

"Son of a bitch…" Charlie almost growled, crumpling the paper up in his hand. "Now he takes my daughter from me…that Cullen kid will pay for this…" Charlie then moved, grabbing his keys and his rifle all in one graceful motion before stomping back outside into the rain.

* * *

Edward helped Bella up the stairs and into his bedroom which housed a bed for her. He then gently placed her two bags by the door and sighed, running a hand through his tousled hair.

"What?" Bella picked up on Edward's uncomfortable mood and he heart started to raise.

Instantly, Edward felt bad, exciting Bella like that when he knew it was not good for her or the baby. "Bella, love, calm down. Nothing is wrong."

"You're lying." Bella accused. "I know something is bothering you." She placed both hands on her back for support and gave Edward a frustrated look.

Edward sighed again, knowing Bella would know if he was lying. The more pregnant she got, the more aware of his moods she became. "Fine…yes…I am a little worried."

"Why?" Bella asked, slightly confused. Everything was better now; she was right where she was supposed to be.

"I just…am not sure what Charlie will do…" Edward admitted. "Alice said he did not love the note…"

"You think he will come here?" Bella realized.

"Possibly." Edward answered.

Bella shook her head. "I asked him not to look for me. I don't think he would go against my wishes…he never has before."

"He has never been in this situation before." Edward explained. "I've been in Charlie's head…I know the lengths he would go to keep you safe…"

Suddenly, Bella felt worried. "What if he does come?"

Edward shrugged, trying his best to be honest. "I don't know…" He looked away from Bella, turning toward the door where Alice seemed to appear out of nowhere.

"Well you better figure it out." Alice said. "Because Charlie is on his way over."

"Great…" Edward mumbled.

Bella's face went white and her mouth hung open a little. She did not know what to do, what Edward would do if Charlie came over and found them both there. Worst, she was not sure what Charlie would do, or what Edward would let Charlie do to him. Panic hit her pregnant body with the force of a hurricane.

* * *

Sam led Jared and Paul closer to La Push in their wolf form, knowing they were only hours away from their home. Suddenly, a familiar scent crossed their paths.

_Jacob?_ Jared questioned in his head.

_It's his scent_. Sam answered

_What is he doing down here?_ Paul wondered.

_Maybe he wasn't following Bella after all._ Jared suggested. _Maybe he was just worried about Embry. They are best friends._

Sam nodded his snout. That answer seemed acceptable enough. If they got back to the reservation and Jacob was there he would owe him an apology for ever doubting Jacob's true intentions.

* * *

Charlie wiped his cruiser up the winding driveway to the Cullen's home. He was surprised, at first, that he had even found the entrance to the place, but in his blind rage he assumed he had maneuvered his way through the forest without much thought. The only thing on his mind was getting Bella away from Edward.

Charlie threw his cruiser into park when he reached the house and grabbed the shotgun he had laid across his front seat before briskly making his way to the Cullen's front door, where he knocked extremely hard.

"Open up, damn it! I know my Bella's in there!" Charlie yelled at the closed door.

Half a second later, the door swung open and Carlisle stood in front of Charlie. "Charlie…" He tried to smile.

"Just stay out of this, Carlisle." Charlie said. "I just want to take Bella home and have a nice chat with that son of yours…"

Carlisle looked at the shotgun in Charlie's hand. "Charlie…be reasonable now…calm down…"

Charlie followed Carlisle's gaze to his shot gun and rolled his eyes. "Okay…maybe a little dramatic." He placed the shotgun down near the front door. "But I do want my daughter back and that kid of yours!"

"Charlie, please…" Carlisle tried again.

"Let him in." Edward's voice came from behind his father.

At the sound of the voice, Charlie's face went a deep shade of purple and he debated about picking the shotgun up again.

Edward heard the thoughts running through his head and his brows creased together. "Carlisle…please let him in."

Carlisle sighed, but stepped aside, allowing Charlie into his home. Originally, the plan had been to let Carlisle defuse the situation with Charlie, but clearly that was not going to work.

Charlie quickly stepped around Carlisle and marched up to Edward. "Where is she?"

"Bella…is asleep." Edward kept his voice low, though he was lying. Bella was the furthest thing from asleep. In fact, she was upstairs in his room listening to every word of the conversation downstairs as Alice and Esme sat with her. "Please, let's not wake her."

"Don't tell me what to do…" Charlie glared, but lowered his voice. "Especially when it comes to my daughter!"

"Do you think acting like this around her is appropriate?" Edward's voice remained calm. "Considering her condition?"

Charlie's face only got a deeper shade of red. "Who do you think you are talking to? Don't stand here and lecture me on how to handle _my _pregnant daughter! The last thing she needs in her condition is you!"

Edward closed his eyes and sighed, his voice still even. "That may be true…but Bella doesn't feel that way, not yet at least."

"Well, she just isn't thinking clearly now, but I am thanking my lucky stars that one of us is!" Charlie went to grab Edward, but Edward's quick reflections pulled him out of Charlie's reach instantly.

"I know you are here to arrest me…" Edward read Charlie's thoughts now, and Charlie believed the only way to keep Bella and Edward apart was to put Edward in jail for assaulting Mike, just like the Newton's had requested, at least for as long as he possibly could. "And that is fine…I will go with you, but please just leave Bella be right now. She is so stressed…"

"Fine. I'll come back for her later. Let's go…" Charlie pulled his handcuff from his back pocket, slightly happy he would at least put some space between Bella and Edward, thinking then he would be able to get Bella to see more clearly.

Suddenly a loud cry came from the top of the stairs. "No! Dad! Don't!"

Both Charlie and Edward looked up to see Bella standing at the top of the stairs, cradling her hugely pregnant stomach as Esme and Alice stood on each side of her, afraid she was going to topple over and go crashing down the stairs.

"She doesn't look asleep to me." Charlie turned his attention back to Edward.

"Bella…calm down." Edward tried to reason with the girl he loved. "Everything is going to be just fine…"

"Screw fine!" Bella began to waddle down the stairs as Alice and Esme moved with her. "You're not taking him!" Bella moved toward her father, positioning herself between him and Edward. "He is not going anywhere. I _need _him." She motioned to Edward with one hand and kept her other protectively over her stomach.

"Bella…you don't belong here, you belong at home with me…waiting for Jacob." Charlie added the last part while he glared at Edward.

"I don't want to wait for Jacob!" Bella said through a clenched jaw as she felt herself beginning to hyperventilate. "I want to stay with Edward! If you can't see that he makes me happy, Dad then I…I…" Suddenly Bella began to lose her balance. "I feel…dizzy…"

Edward moved in a fraction of a second, grabbing Bella before she collapsed to the floor. His eyes frequently searched the room until they met the two pairs he was looking for, Esme's and Carlisle's.

"She is fine, Edward." Carlisle moved quickly, helping Edward move Bella to the couch. "I am sure it was just anxiety…" He checked Bella's vitals and let out a sigh when they were fine.

"She is probably just overwhelmed…it made her light headed." Esme spoke from experience, having been the only one in the Cullen family to carry a child in her human life. "It's common."

Edward's glance moved between Esme and Carlisle.

"She is right." Carlisle agreed with his wife. "Just give Bella a moment…she will be fine."

Charlie took a second to recover. He had never seen Bella so worked up. It had almost scared him and had instantly dissolved any anger he held toward his pregnant daughter.

Edward perked up as he heard Charlie's thoughts. The Chief seemed much calmer now, causing Edward to look away from Bella, knowing she was safe with Carlisle and Esme. "Charlie?"

Charlie looked over at Edward. "What?" He grumbled.

"Would you mind…speaking with me outside?" Edward asked. "At least while Bella is unconscious?"

"I…er…sure." Charlie shrugged after a minute, knowing he was not going anywhere while Bella was out cold anyway and because he was almost scared of how Bella had acted before she had passed out, and was even more nervous she would wake up just as furious.

* * *

Jacob broke through the lining of trees that surrounded the La Push reservation. He wanted to get to Embry before any of the other members of the pack could. He knew, if he could calm Embry down and explain everything to him, then maybe, after Embry accepted the wolf part, Jacob would be able to get Embry to understand the Bella situation.

Almost immediately, Jacob spotted Embry curled up in a ball leaning against Jacob's old garage. Embry's clothes were torn and tattered all around him, forcing Embry to pull his knees to his chest. Upon seeing this sight, Jacob sprinted toward his best friend.

"Embry?" Jacob knelt down next to his shaking friend. "Embry…listen…you are okay."

Embry's eyes were wide with fear as he glanced up at Jacob. "I'm not…"

"You are. Listen, I know what happened." Jacob told him. "Because it happened to me too…and Sam and Paul and Jared…Embry, its okay."

"Wh…what?" Embry managed out.

"Embry…what happened to you is that you phased…into a wolf." Jacob stated.

Embry nodded, his eyes locked on Jacob's as if he had been asked a question rather than told something.

"Well, it's because that's who we are…we are werewolves…built to protect our tribe and the pale faces from the…cold ones…" Jacob said. "You remember the legends, don't you?"

Embry nodded again.

"Then just know…you are okay. The rest of the pack will be here soon, Sam, Jared, Paul…we are all going to help you through this." Jacob assured him. "You trust me, right?"

Embry nodded more fiercely. "Ye…Yeah. Yeah, Jake, I do."

"Good." Jacob stood, offering Embry a hand. "Let's get you up and into some clothes."

Embry complied, allowing Jacob to help him up.

Jacob sighed, he could see how visibly shaken Embry was right now, and he remembered out disorientated he had been when he first found out he was a wolf. He knew he could not spring any more information on Embry right now, especially not any information about Bella or the Cullen's; not without overloading his best friend. He would have to wait now, and hope Sam did not make it back and corrupt Embry before Jacob could get someone on his side.

* * *

Charlie followed Edward out the front door to the steps outside the Cullen's home. Edward took a seat on the steps, his back to Charlie and his hands in a small fist over his mouth. Charlie stayed behind Edward, his hands deep in his pocket.

"I know you hate me, Charlie." Edward said, and then turned to face the Chief. "And I understand that. I know I hurt Bella when I left…"

"You can't even imagine what you did to her." Charlie snorted.

Edward winced, remembering the memories Jacob had shouted at him a few times, the memories of how he had destroyed Bella with his departure. Edward knew exactly how bad he had hurt Bella. "It kills me to know I did that to her. You have to understand that."

"You're not good enough for Bella…" Charlie continued.

Edward nodded slightly in agreement, a small crooked grin briefly crossing his lips. "Don't I know it…"

Charlie's face screwed up a bit. That was not the response he had expected from Edward. Slowly, he felt some of the rage he had built up for Edward leave his body. He stepped down the stairs so that he could stand and still face Edward who was sitting on the top step. "Why can't you just leave her alone?"

"Because…I care very much for Bella." Edward said. "More than she will ever know, and that makes me weak…far too weak to leave her side if she wants me there."

"But don't you think it will be better for her…and for that baby in the long run if she gives Jake a fair chance?" Charlie asked.

"Bella knows she always has that option. I would never take it from her…" Edward said.

"But she will never look at the situation clearly with you here. She will never look at Jacob as someone she could share something with…at one point she obviously did because she is having his kid. Don't you think it's only fair to everyone that you let them get a fighting chance at this?" Charlie asked.

"Is that what this is about?" Edward asked. "About Jacob Black? Do you really want Bella to be with him so badly that you would arrest me for something as stupid as pushing someone? Or shoot me?" Edward glanced over at Charlie's shotgun which was still leaning by the front door.

Charlie sighed. "I was never going to shoot you…and no, I won't arrest you. I just…I want Bella to be happy."

"And I believe I make her happy." Edward said. "I know you may not agree with it and I know you might be afraid I would leave her again, but I promise you, sir, I will _never_ hurt your daughter again. I couldn't live with myself if I did."

Charlie shut his eyes for a moment and dragged his hand along his face as he thought about all Edward had just said. He knew, no matter what he wanted, that Edward did make Bella happy, but he was so worried it wouldn't last, that Edward would walk away again. That was why he had pushed for Jacob so hard, because he knew that Jacob would never turn his back on Bella or his child.

"It's Jake's child she is carrying…" Charlie finally said.

Edward nodded once. "I know that. It doesn't matter to me. I just want to be there for Bella. I…I love your daughter very much, sir."

Charlie was silent for a moment and then sighed, nodding. "I know you do."

"So where do we go from here?" Edward asked after a moment.

"I want Bella to come home with me." Charlie requested. "I won't chase you out of the house every few minutes but I won't leave her here with you either…in case she changes her mind…"

Edward nodded, that was an easy enough request, especially because he knew it was only a matter of weeks before he and his family moved away, with Bella and her child in hand. Once that happened, Edward knew it would be impossible for Charlie to find them and he also knew that would kill Charlie. Edward did not want to hurt Charlie, but he did not see any other way to keep Bella safe. That was why Edward would agree for Bella to leave and head home with Charlie that night, because he knew Charlie's time with his daughter was limited.

"That seems fair." Edward said.

"Really?" Charlie was surprised Edward agreed so quickly. "Uh…okay…"

"Let's go let her know." Edward said, having heard Bella's heartbeat pick up, he knew she was awake. He stood, motioning for Charlie to follow him into the house.

Charlie and Edward barely made it through the door before Bella's frantic voice filled the room.

"Edward?" Bella's voice seemed on edge.

"Right here, love." Edward said, entering the room with Charlie by his side to find Bella lying on the couch with her head in Alice's lap. Charlie and Esme stood on each side of the couch Bella was stretched out on.

"Where were you?" Bella asked.

"Outside…talking…" Edward looked to Charlie and then moved toward Bella, taking a seat next to her on the couch and pulling her feet up into his lap so he could massage them, since he knew the pregnancy had made them swollen.

"Bells…you are going to come home with me." Charlie said.

Immediately, Bella's eyes grew wide as she frantically looked at Edward. "No I am not."

Edward moved up so that he could whisper in Bella's ear. "It is for the best…I will be with you every step of the way, you won't be alone. I just, don't see any other way to keep the peace. Do this for me, please? Once the baby is born we are leaving anyway…just trust me on this."

Bella sighed, after a moment and nodded at Edward. He had not requested much of her, in fact he rarely requested anything at all and so Bella felt the need to grant him this wish. Plus, she could tell her dad had calmed down and if Edward was staying out of a jail and able to visit her, she could not ask for more. She turned her attention to Charlie. "Fine…okay…"

Charlie just nodded, amazed at how easily Edward was able to get Bella to do what he wanted. Charlie had always known Bella to be stubborn, but it seemed that with Edward Cullen she was anything and everything but stubborn; it made Charlie worry a little about the hold Edward actually had on Bella. He pondered taking his word back and arresting Edward on the spot but sighed after a minute, knowing he did not want to upset Bella again.

* * *

Jacob had gotten Embry back to his house and into some sweatpants and calmed down enough to eat something but he could tell Embry was still a bit jumpy. Jacob couldn't really blame him, remembering how disorientated he had been when he first phased. Still, Jacob was anxious. He knew he had limited time if he was going to get Embry's help. Sam would be back soon.

Embry looked up from the bagel he was eating. "Jake…what…what happens now?" It was the first tiem Embry had really spoken since Jacob had found him.

Jacob sighed. "Well…once Sam gets back, he will really fill you in on it all."

Embry nodded, taking another bite of his bagel. "So…this is why…you left to hang out with them?"

"Uh…yeah." Jacob nodded. "This is it."

"I thought it was because of Bella…" Embry said.

Jacob chuckled a bit to himself, knowing everything he did right now was about Bella, about keeping Bella and his unborn child safe. For the first time, Jacob realized just how close he was to Bella and his baby, and just how close he was to becoming a father. Up until that point, he had always thought he would never see the baby, never hold it, he had assumed when he left with the pack he would never return. That his gift to his child was to keep it safe by being far away from it; but now he realized Bella was down the road and so was his unborn baby; he was so close.

Suddenly, the door to Jacob's small house opened and Sam, Paul, and Jared came pounding in.

"Embry! Jacob!" Sam seemed almost relieved. "Good to see you both here."

"We worried you took off on us Jacob." Jared smiled at him.

"Ha…not me." Jacob said, though his laugh was half-hearted. "Just wanted to get to Embry."

"And we are glad you did." Sam patted Jacob's shoulder. "I am sure you were a big help." He glanced over at Embry.

Embry nodded. "He was."

"Well, welcome to the pack, man!" Paul high-fived Embry who seemed to relax a bit.

"Paul? Jared? Take Embry outside and explain everything to him. I want to talk to Jacob for a second." Sam ordered.

"Sure thing." Paul nodded and then led Jared and Embry out of the house, leaving Sam and Jacob alone.

"I owe you an apology." Sam told Jacob. "I thought…well I thought you were playing us…that you truly did not want us to find Bella…that you took off to save her instead of coming here for Embry. I was clearly wrong."

Jacob said nothing, his expression blank.

"And…obviously I can see now you were just concerned with Embry which just shows how vital to this pack you are." Sam said.

"Thank you." Jacob responded automatically but his thoughts were somewhere else. His thoughts were filled with concerns about Bella and his unborn child.

Sam nodded, and then laughed a bit, shaking his head. "And to think I thought you ran off to protect Bella from us…" He continued to laugh.

"Yeah…ha…" Jacob tried to join in the laughter, but fell short, knowing just how accurate Sam's last statement had actually been. Jacob knew things were only going to get harder now; and he had lost his chance to talk to Embry. Keeping the pack from Bella was now his soul responsibility.


	23. The Return of a Father

Disclaimer: All characters and things associated with The Twilight Saga belong to Stephanie Meyers. This writing is for pure entertainment only.

Summary: Set during New Moon. After Edward leaves, Bella is miserable and Jacob is there for her until things go too far between them, leaving Bella in an unexpected condition. When Edward returns how will Bella explain her situation to him? B/E B/J pairings

**Chapter 23**

A few days had passed since Charlie had brought Bella home from the Cullen's on the condition that he would no longer pursue his arrest of Edward. However, that did not stop Charlie from refusing to allow Edward into the house.

Not that it bothered Bella. She had spent the past two days in bed, every part of her pregnant frame hurting her. Edward had not been allowed in the front door, but Charlie had said nothing about the windows, so Edward had come and gone as he pleased through her window.

Now, Bella sat alone, rubbing her enormous belly as the baby inside kicked.

"Only a week and a half left for you in there…then no more playing the drums on my insides." Bella smiled at her baby bump. "I can't wait to meet you…"

The baby kicked in response, causing Bella to wince in pain.

"Bella?" Edward was through the window and at her bedside in a split second, concern filling his features. "Are you okay? What is wrong?"

"Baby is just kicking…" Bella assured him, continuing to rub the spot her unborn child had kicked hard.

Edward nodded, relaxing a bit and taking a seat next to Bella. "Not too much longer."

"I know." Bella smiled at the idea of being able to hold her child. When she had first found out she was pregnant, she felt as though everything had fallen apart, but now, after getting used to the idea, Bella could not wait to see her child.

"Are you feeling okay?" Edward asked, rubbing her hand in his own.

"As okay as I possibly can, at this point." Bella slowly moved up, trying her best to sit up in bed with Edward's help. "Is Charlie home?"

"No." Edward shook his head. "Why?"

"Just wondering why you climbed through the window." Bella motioned to her open window.

"Front door was locked." Edward told her. "I couldn't imagine making you get out of bed at this point."

"Ugh." Bella complained, as the baby kicked again. "Thanks. I would have never made it down the stairs."

"Are you really in pain?" Edward's brow creased in concern.

"The baby is just kicking a lot." Bella soothed Edward, running one hand over his cheek and the other over her hump of a stomach. "Just not enough room in me for the little one, I guess."

"I see." Edward nodded, but in truth he had no idea. Bella was the first pregnant woman he had spent much time with.

"I am just ready for it to be here already…" Bella sighed. "I'm ready to just start getting my life going."

"What do you mean?" Edward smiled a little, hating his inability to hear exactly what Bella was thinking.

"I am just ready to be with you. To start my life with you…with this baby…" Bella touched her stomach, closing her eyes a bit as the idea of being with Edward and her child crossed her mind. She wished, more than anything, that she was carrying Edward's baby, but she was not; she was carrying her best friend's child, her best friend who she would probably never see again. The thought of Jacob never meeting his own child saddened Bella greatly.

"Well…as soon as we can move you two we will." Edward spoke of Bella and the baby.

"The sooner the better." Bella told him. "Although Charlie has been much easier to live with the past few days."

"He does love you." Edward reminded Bella. "And he is just trying to keep you safe, the best way he knows how."

"Because keeping you out is safe…" Bella rolled her eyes. "I know I am much safer with my vampire bodyguard."

Edward chuckled. "Well, Charlie doesn't know that and he certainly doesn't think you are safe with me. But, in his defense, you were a _mess _without me."

Bella scowled at Edward. "I would have gotten better…"

"Well, we will never know." Edward leaned in, kissing Bella. "Because I am never leaving again."

Bella smiled at Edward's words, closing her own eyes and pulling his face closer to hers before planting a kiss on his ice cold lips.

* * *

Jacob and the pack were sitting around Sam's living room, waiting for Emily to finish up there dinner. Embry had already gotten used to the idea of being a werewolf, and seemed to take to Paul, Jared, and Sam as if they were his older brothers. His relationship with Jacob did not change, however. Jacob was still his best friend.

"So…" Sam looked around at the members of the pack. "We have some stuff to discuss before dinner."

"Like what?" Paul asked, leaning back into the couch.

"We need to get moving soon." Sam said. "We can't give Bella or the Cullen's anymore time to get any further from us."

"What?" Embry asked, confused.

"The baby Bella's carrying is a threat to us." Jared said simply.

"It's Jake's baby." Embry looked at Jacob who looked down at the ground. "It's one of us."

"No." Sam shook his head. "It's not. Bella is not Jake's imprint…"

"Yeah but we don't even know if everyone gets one of those!" Embry pointed out, trying to recall all that he had learned about imprints in the past few days.

Jacob looked up, slightly surprised that Embry was defending his unborn child. Maybe he did have a chance to get Embry on his side after all.

"She wants to be with the leech." Paul said simply. "That means the kid is lost to us…just a threat to our way of life really."

"And the tribe." Sam added.

Embry looked hard at Jacob. "Jake?"

Jacob looked up at Embry's piercing eyes. "I…uh…"

"Jacob has already come to peace over this." Sam said, thinking his words were true.

"Really?" Embry sounded surprised and continued to look at Jacob.

Jacob just nodded, feeling defeated but not showing it. He could not slip up now, not if he wanted to keep Bella and their child safe. He knew he had lost his chance to get Embry on his side now, but he would not jeopardize his child's future or Bella's. "Yeah."

"Oh." Embry blinked twice before nodding and turning back to Sam. "So we are leaving?"

"Soon." Sam nodded, glancing at Emily. "I just want to give everyone a chance to hang around home for a little while longer. Who knows how long we will be gone?"

Everyone just nodded just as Emily placed the last of the dinner dishes on the table, indicating it was time for the pack to have supper. They all swiftly got up, throwing as much food on their plates as possible, all except Jacob, who was too lost in his own thoughts to take much food.

* * *

Bella was sound asleep and the room was quiet aside from her steady breathing and the two heartbeats coming from her body. Edward lay next to her, ontop of the comforter to not give her a chill from his cold touch. He watched her intently, listening to both hers and the heartbeat of her unborn child.

Edward was sure the baby Bella had conceived with Jacob was human, at least for now. Its heartbeat was rather steady.

Edward smiled, gently laying a hand over her pregnant stomach to feel the baby kick, its movement not enough to wake Bella from her slumber. Edward knew, the life inside of her, was the closest he would ever be to becoming a father figure and he couldn't say he was not exactly excited about it. He just hoped, as the half wolf-child grew, it would not grow to resent him as its mortal enemy.

Suddenly, Edward heard Charlie's cruiser pull down the street and he knew it was time for him to go. He hated leaving Bella while she was asleep, when he could not say goodbye but he knew he had to get out of there before Charlie arrived home. He sighed, kissing her gently on the forehead and hopping out the window as Charlie moved into the house.

Charlie ascended the stairs and hesitated outside of Bella's room before knocking.

The knock startled Bella, and she jumped up as best she could with her pregnant body, her heart racing. She glanced around the room and realized Edward was not there, causing her to frown as she regained her composure.

Another knock caused Bella to turn toward the door. "Yeah?"

"It's me…" Charlie said through the door.

"It's opened." Bella sighed, and pulled herself up more so she was sitting as Charlie entered.

Charlie opened the door and stuck his head in. "Can I come in?"

"Sure." Bella nodded, giving her father a tight-lipped smile.

Charlie shuffled into the room, taking a seat on the edge of her bed and remaining silent for a long minute.

"Something you want, dad?" Bella asked, absentmindedly rubbing her pregnant stomach.

"Just…uh…to talk…" Charlie started.

"About what?" Bella asked.

Charlie shrugged, seeming uneasy. "What did you do all day?"

"Sat in bed, slept…nothing really." Bella said.

Charlie nodded. "Are you going to have a lot of school work to make up?"

Bella nodded with a sigh. "Well…I have already been out for a week, and they told me I could take the rest of June if I needed after the baby is here so…I do have a ton of work to do before summer school is over or I won't be a senior."

It was not that school mattered anymore. Bella knew she would never graduate because she would be taking off with the Cullen's as soon as it was healthy for her and the baby to leave Forks. Keeping her child safe was her top priority.

"Well, you will do it." Charlie told her. "And I can help…watch the…" He pointed to the hump of her stomach. "If you need a babysitter."

Bella genuinely smiled at Charlie, surprised by her dad's offer. "Thanks, Dad."

"Sure." Charlie nodded, coughing uneasy.

"Is there something else you want to talk about?" Bella read Charlie's expression.

"I…yeah." Charlie nodded. "Yeah I do. I want to…apologize…" He looked away from her.

"Apologize?" Bella raised an eyebrow. "For what?"

"For making this whole thing harder on you." Again, Charlie motioned to her stomach. "I know, putting the pressure on you to stay with Jake and to avoid…._Edward_…wasn't the best thing I could do for you. I'm sorry I wasn't a better dad when you needed me to be."

Bella felt her eyes immediately swell with tears and blamed it on her hormones. Sure, she had been angry with how Charlie had handled the entire Edward situation, but she never wanted Charlie to think he had been a bad father, because he hadn't. He had been the best father she knew she could have asked for. "Don't be sorry…"

"I just did what I thought was right…I am still doing it." Charlie cut her off. "I just can't let _him_ hurt you again."

"Edward won't hurt me again." Bella said.

"Bells…you forget what you were like. It scared me to death to see you so shattered...over _him_." Charlie continued, but his voice was not angry, rather full of explanation. "I couldn't take it if he broke you like that again." Charlie looked at his hands. "I can't lose you like that again."

"Dad…" Bella managed out, but the silent tears seemed to choke her. She realized there was a good chance she would never get to see Charlie again after a week or two; she had to accept his apology now. In a way, she even understood why he wanted to keep Edward from her.

"No…Bella…let me finish." Charlie looked up at Bella, his eyes almost seeming to glisten with tears he refused to let fall. "I am only doing what I think is best for you…" He glanced at her stomach. "Both of you. I just…I love you, baby. I don't ever wanna see you so hurt, not when you are going to be responsible for someone else. You just…you need to see how much better you can do than him. I know that…this baby doesn't mean you have to be with Jacob, but I think he deserves a chance. You were trying to give him one before…before _Edward_ came back. Don't you think you owe him that?"

"We have been over this dad…Jake doesn't want to be here for me, or the baby." Bella lied, knowing Jacob would do anything to keep his child safe, even if it meant never meeting the baby. "And I can't blame him. I can't be everything for him…I can't just give him everything."

Charlie nodded, understanding. "Because you already gave some to Edward."

"I love Edward." Bella told her father. "And nothing you do is going to stop that. I'm sorry…but lock him out of the house, throw him in jail…it doesn't matter, I will find a way to be with him."

Charlie sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I know that."

"What?" Bella was surprised. That was not the reaction she had anticipated.

"I know you will do whatever you can to be with him." Charlie almost seemed to smile. "And so you gotta understand…I will do whatever I can to not let you."

Bella smiled at her dad, realizing this was his way of almost accepting defeat. She would miss Charlie so much when she had to leave. "Thanks, dad."

"Eh…I guess it could be worse than Edward. I mean, he is willing to stick around through all this…for now at least. He deserves from credit there…maybe even more than Jacob. Charlie shrugged, standing. He knew how strong a pull Edward had over Bella, and although he did not appreciate it, he did appreciate that Edward was willing to step up in ways Jacob clearly was not, or at least ways Jacob seemed to not want to in Charlie's perspective.

* * *

Jacob needed to clear his head so when Sam said they only needed one wolf to patrol La Push and the surrounding area, Jacob offered immediately. He knew, no one else would phase that night; they were all tired. He also knew it made him look normal, his willingness to phase now that they were closer to home, making his excuse about not wanting to waste clothes in the mountains seem true.

Jacob had two motives to take the patrol. He wanted to run, stretch his legs, as fast as they would go. He had missed being in his wolf form. He also had a special trip he wanted to take; somewhere he needed to go.

Once he was in the woods, and sure he was alone, Jacob took off in the direction he was headed, toward the boundary line, toward the Cullen home.

Jacob ran as fast as he could, his thoughts screaming Edward's name, knowing if the vampire was anywhere near his home, Edward would hear Jacob coming.

Jacob's thoughts were right, as he ran up the Cullen's driveway; Edward was already outside waiting for him, a statue on the front steps. As Jacob ran into the woods to phase back, Edward's eyes were the only thing that shifted. They focused on the human form of Jacob as he emerged in a pair of cutoff jeans.

"Jacob?" Edward's voice cracked his eyes full of worry. "What are you doing here? What happened?"

Before Jacob could answer, Emmett, Rosalie, Jasper, Alice, Carlisle, and Esme all made their way out onto the steps, forming a relaxed line behind Edward.

"I just came to talk." Jacob put his hands up defensively.

"No one is going to hurt you." Edward read Jacob's thoughts.

"Speak for yourself…" Rosalie snorted.

"_Rosalie_." Carlisle narrowed his eyes at her, his voice in a fatherly tone.

"What are you doing back here?" Edward repeated his question.

"Embry phased." Jacob said.

Edward nodded, seeing Jacob's memories of finding Embry.

"So another wolf joins the pack…" Carlisle seemed fascinated.

"Yup." Jacob nodded. "Another wolf after Bella…"

"We can take out a few wolves…" Emmett folded his broad arms across his body.

"I hope you are right." Jacob sighed.

"Are they going to be looking for Bella around here?" Alice seemed worried.

Jacob shook his head, trying to breathe as little as possible. The Cullen's smelled awful to him. "I don't think so. Sounded like they just wanted to see their families and get things settled here before we take off again."

"Well that is good…" Esme sounded relieved, knowing Bella was safe again.

"Or horrible." Jasper stepped forward, closer to Edward, and narrowed his eyes at Jacob. "They will read your thoughts now…know she is here."

Jacob shook his head. "I haven't phased around them. I would never put Bella in that kind of danger."

"Still…" Jasper's eyes were skeptical.

"Well, regardless…we should be prepared for the worst." Edward looked over at his family, his eyes burning gold from his hunt that afternoon.

"It won't come to that." Jacob told them. "I won't let it. I will get them out of here as soon as I can."

"Still…" Carlisle turned to the rest of his family. "We will have to leave immediately after the child is born. Our secret of Bella being here may not last for long…its risky with the wolves around."

"We should start making preparations." Esme motioned for her family to follow her inside, able to see that Edward wanted a moment alone with Jacob.

"Thank you." Edward smiled at Esme as she rounded the rest of the family up and into the house.

Once they were alone, Edward turned back to Jacob.

"How is she?" Jacob asked, speaking out loud even though he knew Edward did not need him to; he liked the idea of having a human conversation.

"Bella?" Edward guessed, although he already knew the answer as images of Bella flew through Jacob's thoughts. "She is doing as well as can be expected. She is certainly ready to have the baby."

Jacob nodded sadly. "A few days, right?"

Edward nodded. "Jacob, I don't want to exclude you from this child's life. You are still its father."

"It's safer with you…" Jacob sighed and then looked away. "And Bella wants you, not me."

"I am still sorry about that, Jacob." Edward apologized.

"I would have been good for her." Jacob's eyes turned sharp on Edward, and then relaxed as he looked at the ground. "If I hadn't gotten her pregnant."

Edward chuckled a little bit. "I don't doubt that." Edward concentrated on Jacob's thoughts and his smile faded. "You want to see her?"

Jacob's head immediately shot up, and then he remembered Edward could read his thoughts. He sighed. "Yeah…if there was any chance I could without endangering her or my baby."

"As long as you keep it from your pack, don't phase, I don't see why it wouldn't be safe." Edward told him. "It might even be good for Bella. She still does miss you, Jacob. As much as I hate to admit it, you managed to find a place in her heart that will never belong to me."

Jacob smiled, Edward's comment making him feel good.

"Next time I go over to Bella's…come." Edward was shocked as he heard his own words come out of his mouth. He was trying his best to be diplomatic about Jacob, but he never actually thought he would go as far as to invite Jacob to see the woman they both loved, who loved them both back but loved Edward more; the woman Jacob and Edward were both willing to die for; the woman who had given Edward her heart, but given Jacob a child.

"Sure." Jacob nodded, after a moment. A small, brief smile, dashed across his face. He did want to see Bella one last time before he left; in case he never got a chance to again. He owed at least that to her and their unborn child.

* * *

The pack, without Jacob, met up outside of Sam's house. They sat lazily around the porch, looking entirely too big against the small home.

"So, where are we heading next?" Paul asked.

Sam shrugged, folding his broad arms across his bare chest. "I have been thinking about that since we got back. I think Seattle may be our best bet."

As Sam spoke, a rustle came from the bush and a second later, Jacob came striding out, in human form. He hopped up on the porch next to Sam and nodded. "Seattle sounds good." And to Jacob it did, anything but staying close to Forks, close to Bella and his unborn child, sounded good to him.

"Why Seattle?" Jared asked.

"Because, it seems like the best place the Cullen's could have taken Bella, if they wanted to stay local. I mean, it's big enough that it would be hard for us to find them…" Sam said.

"I thought Jacob swore they went north." Paul narrowed his eyes at Jacob.

Jacob shrugged, trying to remain casual. "Well…we didn't find them. Guess I was wrong." He looked to Sam. "We should leave soon."

"A few more days here won't hurt us. Bella should be due soon, they would have to slow down or stop moving her by now. We will catch them." Sam said, calmly. "But everyone deserves a chance to be home a little." Sam's eyes moved to Embry. "And to get used to how this all works."

Jacob just nodded, his shoulder's slumping a little bit.

"Alright, well…everyone get home." Sam clapped and as if on cue Jared and Paul jumped off the porch. Sam began to move into the house and Embry and Jacob slowly began to walk down the stairs, Jacob a few steps behind.

Embry slowed his walk, and when they were fifty feet from Sam's front door, Jacob had finally caught up to his friend.

"You okay, Jake?" Embry asked.

"Yeah." Jacob forced a smile. "Why?"

"You just don't seem right…" Embry explained.

"I'm fine." Jacob continued to force his smile, though he could tell in Embry's expression that he was fooling no one.

"Is it about Bella?" Embry asked.

"What?" Jacob shook his head, lying. "No."

"Well…if it is…I could see why." Embry told his friend. "Regardless of how dangerous your…_kid _could be. I mean, it's still your kid, it's still Bella. She was our friend before."

"I…uh…" Jacob was at a loss for words. This was not the reaction he had expected from Embry, though he knew he had to be careful about what he said to Embry, in case Embry phased, the pack would know all about this conversation. "If Sam thinks the baby is dangerous…"

"What if Sam is wrong?" Embry asked. "What if the baby is not dangerous at all? I mean, I don't love those vampires…" Embry shivered, still getting used to the idea that the myth of the "cold ones" was true. "But Edward never tried to hurt Bella before…"

"Its more complicated than that." Jacob sighed. "Sam is trying to protect the tribe…"

"At the risk of your child." Embry cut him off.

Jacob studied Embry's expression for a moment, knowing he wanted nothing more than to tell Embry he agreed with him. He knew he could use Embry on his side, but it was not worth the rest of the rest of the pack finding out. After a moment, Jacob just shrugged, walking away from Embry.

Embry caught up to him in a second. "Jacob, I know you. You want to tell me something so just tell me. You can trust me."

Jacob turned to look at his friend's earnest expression and knew Embry was not lying to him. "Look…if I tell you it means you can't phase, no one can know what I say here. This means you pick me over Sam if it comes to that…"

Embry just nodded, feverishly.

"I know where Bella is. I know she is safe and I will not let her safety or my child's be compromised. The baby is not a threat, it's just a baby. I believe that, and so I can't let Sam kill it…or Bella." Jacob's words came out quickly.

Embry just nodded after a moment. "She is with the Cullen's?"

Jacob nodded, with a sigh, knowing he may have just condemned them all by letting Embry in on what was going on, but also knowing he could use someone on his side. "Yes."

Embry nodded. "I figured that much. I knew you could never turn on Bella like that, let alone a child you conceived with her."

Jacob sighed again. "Embry, promise me you will tell no one."

"No one." Embry promised. "I am on your side in this, Jake. I think Sam is wrong. I won't phase. I promise."

Jacob relaxed a little at Embry's words, wanting nothing more than to believe them. He liked the idea of having someone agree with him, someone besides the Cullen's want to keep Bella and his child safe.

* * *

Bella slowly moved around her room, trying her best to pack her hospital bag. She had about a week left before the baby was due, but she just wanted to be ready in case her child decided to come early.

"Bella?" Edward had come in through the window while her back was to it, as silent as ever, but his voice did not cause Bella to jump; she was used to his silent entrances and exits by now. "What are you doing out of bed?"

"Packing up some stuff for the hospital." Bella turned, smiling at him as she placed a hand on her back to support her huge stomach.

"The hospital?" Edward moved toward her, concern filling his eyes as he placed one cold hand on her stomach and the other over her own that was on her back. "Are you okay?"

"Fine." Bella assured him, reaching up to kiss him. "I just want to be ready."

Edward relaxed, nodding. "Oh okay. Being ready is good."

Bella nodded, slowly easing herself onto her bed as Edward sat next to her. Once she was sitting she threw her arms around the vampire. "I missed you so much."

Edward laughed lightly. "I have only been gone a few hours." As it had been for every night that Edward had lived near Bella, he had spent the night with her last night, watching her sleep soundly as the baby inside of her kicked away.

"A few too many hours long." Bella said, brushing her nose gently across his.

Edward smiled, cupping her face in his hand and kissing her passionately. The only thing that made him stop was the heartbeat coming from outside the window. He owed that heartbeat a chance to come up. He sighed, pulling away from Bella and standing.

"Edward?" Bella read his action wrong. "Did I do something…"

"No, no." Edward smiled at her and then moved toward the window, looking out and nodding once before turning back to Bella. "Bella, I…have a _surprise_ for you."

"A surprise?" Bella was slightly confused, raising an eyebrow at Edward.

Edward just nodded, and stepped aside, out of the window to show Bella who stood behind him. Edward watched as Bella's mouth hung opened at the guest in her room.

"Uh…hey Bells…" Jacob gave a half wave from his spot next to Edward.

"Ja...Jacob...?" Bella stuttered out, her eyes wide and her mouth still open in shock.


	24. You're So Stubborn

Disclaimer: All characters and things associated with The Twilight Saga belong to Stephanie Meyers. This writing is for pure entertainment only.

Summary: Set during New Moon. After Edward leaves, Bella is miserable and Jacob is there for her until things go too far between them, leaving Bella in an unexpected condition. When Edward returns how will Bella explain her situation to him? B/E B/J pairings

**Chapter 24**

Bella stared at Jacob, visibly shocked. She could not say anything, and the silence began to make Jacob uncomfortable as he fidgeted a bit.

"I…uh…it's good to see you, Bells…" Jacob motioned toward Bella.

"I…Jacob." Bella finally smiled. "What…what are you doing here?"

Jacob looked over at Edward. "Edward thought it would be good if I came to see you."

Bella looked up at Edward, thoughtfully.

"And I'll be going now." Edward moved, kissing Bella on the forehead before turning toward the window, giving Jacob a single nod before heading out the window. He wanted to give Bella and Jacob some alone time. Although he did not like the idea of leaving Bella with a werewolf, he knew Jacob had a right to a few private moments with Bella, seeing as she was carrying his child and that it may be the last time Jacob ever got the chance to see her.

Jacob watched Edward jump out the window and then turned his attention back to Bella. "Can I…uh…sit?" He motioned to the bed.

Bella nodded feverishly, trying her best to move over, though her pregnant body made it difficult. She was still in awe to see Jacob.

"Wow…you got, uh…more pregnant." Jacob said, a nervous laugh coming out.

Bella smiled at him, looking down at her stomach and nodded. "Uh, yeah…almost done with it."

"Right, a week or so?" Jacob asked, though he knew the answer to his question. He had been keeping track of it in his head since the moment he had found out Bella was pregnant.

"Yeah." Bella nodded.

"Good." Jacob gave a tight lipped smile. "And everything has been good…with…uh…" He motioned to her stomach.

"Carlisle said everything looks perfect." Bella assured him.

"Wow." Jacob swallowed hard. "So…you're going to be a mom."

"And you're going to be a dad." Bella smiled back.

"Uh…well in theory." Jacob nodded, his brow creasing.

"What do you mean?" Bella's eyes narrowed at Jacob. She was confused; if he had come back, that only meant one thing. "You're back. So things are better then, right? You get to be a dad…" She loved Edward, but she would never take Jacob's chance at fatherhood away.

"No." Jacob shook his head. "No, things aren't better. The pack is still looking for you…"

"Then what are you doing here?" Bella began to panic.

"We came back because Embry phased." Jacob explained. "We are heading to Seattle to look for you in a few days."

"So you aren't staying?" Bella tried to control her shaky voice.

"No." Jacob told her simply.

Suddenly, Bella jolted forward, her hands flying to her stomach. "Ouch!"

"What?" Jacob panicked, practically jumping up from the bed. "What is it?"

Bella smiled, glancing up at Jacob. "Just the baby…it kicked."

"Oh." Jacob relaxed a little.

"Do you want to feel it?" Bella asked, still smiling.

"No." Jacob shook his head, folding his hands into each other.

"Oh…" Bella's smile faded, hurt crossing her expression.

"Its not that…I don't want to feel it, Bella…" Jacob immediately began explaining. "Its just, well, feeling it makes it real and it can't be real for me."

"What are you talking about?" Bella was confused again.

"I will never be in this baby's life." Jacob pointed to her stomach. "I couldn't risk its safety that way. The pack will always be hunting it…it wouldn't ever be safe. Once its born, I won't know where you went…my thoughts will be useless to the pack and they will not be able to find you…so I can't know where you are, _ever. _I can't be in this baby's life."

"But Jake…" Bella was hurt, mostly for her child. She could not imagine what it would be like to grow up never knowing your father.

"Bells…its better this way. I promise." Jacob assured her, trying to smile. "Edward will take good care of you both…"

"No, I know he will." Bella looked down at her stomach, and then back at Jacob. "But your its real dad."

"And I love it." Jacob smiled. "Tell it that when its older…that its dad loved it like no other. That's why I can't risk it…or you."

Bella nodded, understanding but still upset. "So…why did you come here?"

"To see you were safe." Jacob told her. "And…I had to see you, at least one more time."

Bella nodded, feeling the tears well up in her eyes. She had said goodbye to Jacob Black so many times by now, she should be used to it; but in truth, this time it felt different. This time, it felt final.

* * *

Edward stood outside Bella's window, patiently waiting for Jacob to finish talking to her and trying his best to not ease drop on their conversation when he caught the scent of werewolf coming from the woods. Immediately, he knew it was not Jacob, and crouched low, ready to attack whoever was advancing toward Bella's home.

Embry came shuffling out of the woods, a grin on his face until he saw Edward. He quickly put his hands up. "I am just here for Jake!"

Edward did not move a muscle, still read to pounce. "Jacob's not here."

"I know…he is…" Embry stuttered. "It's okay…I am on your ss..ss…side."

"What side?" Edward's eyes narrowed.

"I want to…to protect Bella too." Embry managed.

Edward straightened up a bit. "Jacob told you about her?" He was somewhat annoyed with Jacob, thinking allowing Embry in on all that was going on was dangerous.

"Well…I kinda made him." Embry admitted. "I didn't believe he would just let his kid die."

Edward nodded after a minute, thinking that, as long as Embry didn't expose them, it wouldn't hurt to have another wolf on their side. He could also read Embry's thoughts. He knew Embry was sincere."So you need Jacob?"

"Yeah…we have a slight problem." Embry said.

"What kind of problem?" Edward's eyes narrowed again.

"Seth Clearwater phased." Embry explained.

"So many wolves…" Edward mumbled, shaking his head.

"Sam thinks it's because vampire's are nearby." Embry continued. "That more wolves phase the more our way of life is threatened…"

"Sam thinks your pack numbers are associated with our presence?" Edward raised an eyebrow. It was an intriguing idea, something Carlisle had never thought of.

Embry nodded. "I mean…the good news is, he thinks you guys are in Seattle. He is convinced of it now…he thinks that's close enough to ignite a growth in the pack…he doesn't think you would be stupid enough to stay around this close."

Edward laughed a nervous laugh. Maybe they were stupid; maybe keeping Bella in Forks had been a bad idea. He was now ready to move her immediately, he did not know if he even wanted to wait for the baby to be born. He had to talk to Carlisle as soon as possible.

* * *

Jacob was starring at the bump of belly's stomach that his baby had formed. It looked so big compared to her little form; he was lost in his own thoughts as she had silently gone back to folding clothes for her hospital bag. Suddenly, Embry's scent filled the air, and Jacob could hear Embry talking to Edward out the window.

"Damn it." Jacob growled, standing swiftly and causing Bella to jump a bit. He could hear what Embry had just told Edward; Seth Clearwater had phased.

"What?" Bella said, trying to regain her composure.

"Uh…nothing." Jacob did not want to alarm Bella. "I have to go."

"What?" Bella raised an eyebrow. "Jake, you just got here."

"I know…" Jacob looked down at his hands, clenched in fists. "But I can't stay."

"Jake…please…promise me something…" Bella could feel it now, in Jacob's stance. He was slipping so far out of her grasp yet she could still hold him if she wanted to; for now.

"What?" Jacob asked, willing to promise her almost anything. He owed her at least that after the entire mess he had gotten her into.

"Come back…even if it's just once. I want you to meet your child…I want them to at least know what you look like." Bella pleaded, gently rubbing circles on her pregnant stomach.

Jacob closed his eyes at her request. It was the one promise he could not make her. "I can't promise you that."

"Just try…please…" Bella pleaded.

Jacob sighed; he could never just say no to her. "I will do my best. No promises…"

Bella nodded, taking Jacob's word. She knew he would do all he could to fulfill her request, just another reason he would have been perfect for anyone, anyone but her. "Thank you."

Jacob nodded, hesitating before moving toward Bella and pulling her in for a hug as gently as he possibly could. For a second he stood there, inhaling her scent and holding both her and his child in his sturdy arms. He kissed the top of her forehead. "Thank you for giving me a child…that baby will be lucky to have such an incredible mother…"

"And an incredible father…" Bella felt the tears swell in her eyes as Jacob let her go.

Jacob threw Bella a quick smile before moving toward the window and leaping out, ready to talk to Embry and figure out what their next move was. He would not look back at the Swan's home; he couldn't. He knew if he did, his heart would break, and he would climb back up that window just to see Bella one more time. He still loved her, he knew that, but he also knew he could never have her entire heart. Edward owned almost all of it and he always would.

* * *

Sam, Jared, Paul, and Embry stood in the woods waiting for Jacob and Embry to return from wherever they had run off to. Seth was excited to see Embry and Jacob, to be part of their pack.

"Where the hell are those two?" Paul asked impatiently about Jacob and Embry.

"Embry said Jake went out for a patrol. I am sure he found him and they are on their way back." Sam said.

As if on cue Jacob and Embry emerged from the woods. The two had talked outside of Bella's home and decided it was best to lay low and feel Seth out before doing anything else.

"Jake! Embry!" Seth called out, so excited.

The look on Seth's face almost made Jacob stop short. He could tell, in the younger boys eyes, that Seth was so excited to be a werewolf. Jacob couldn't even wrap his head around it. Ever since he had become a wolf his life had only grown more complicated; he couldn't imagine being happy about it.

"Hey." Embry smiled, trying to act normal. "Looks like I am not the new guy anymore."

"No." Sam smiled and turned to Seth. "And hopefully you won't be the last addition."

"You think more people will phase?" Jacob almost choked on the words but tried to sound casual.

"Possibly…" Sam said. "If the vampires are close…"

"Then we better get closer to Seattle." Jared grinned. He was more secure with a larger pack and now the idea of tearing some vampires apart was really starting to appeal to him.

Sam nodded. "We are going soon."

"How soon?" Jacob asked. He was ready to leave, get as far from Bella as possible.

"A day or two." Sam said. "We would like to get there before or immediately after she has the child so we can figure out what to do with it. We don't have much time."

"Wait…figure out what to do?" Embry was confused. "I thought we wanted them all dead."

"The Cullen's…yes….Bella, well she is still human. I don't want to destroy her life." Sam said.

"You don't?" Jacob was relieved, and also wondering what prompted the change of heart Sam seemed to be having.

"I have decided…if she will give the child to us…her life and the child's will be spared." Sam said, looking at Jacob. "If that is what you want."

"What? You mean like take the kid from her?" Jacob asked.

"Yes…give her no contact with it…nothing. We take it, raise it…especially if it is a boy. He would be a wolf someday." Sam explained.

"If it's a girl?" Jacob asked.

"I discussed it with Emily. She wouldn't mind having a child around." Sam said. "Either way…Embry was right the other day…the child is still one of us."

"So we…aren't going to kill it?" Embry clarified.

"Not if Bella will give it to us willingly. No more deaths then necessary will occur." Sam said.

Paul snorted. "Bella won't give up that kid with the Cullen's there to protect her."

"Well, that is why the leeches must die." Sam said. "We will be leaving for Seattle soon. " And with that, he walked off toward his house.

Jacob stood there, shocked, relieved, and worried all at once. It was nice to know Sam did not want to kill his child or Bella any longer, but he also knew, if the Pack found Bella or the Cullen's things would still not end well. Jacob was sure of two things that would lead to Bella's death; one, Bella would never give the child up which would leave Sam no choice or, two, Bella would never live without Edward. Jacob knew things were just as complicated as ever.

* * *

Edward busted through the door the Cullen home and into the living room in a blur to find Emmett carrying boxes down the stairs.

"What are you doing back here?" Emmett asked, putting a box down. "I thought you didn't like leaving Bella alone."

"I am only here for a second." Edward said, glancing up the stairs. "Is everyone upstairs?"

Emmett nodded. "They are packing so we are ready to go once Bella is ready…"

"Carlisle?" Edward asked.

"In his office." Emmett said.

Edward nodded and moved swiftly to Carlisle's office, not bothering to knock, and entering quickly to find Carlisle already standing.

"Is it Bella?" Carlisle was concerned.

"No." Edward realized from Carlisle's thoughts that his father thought Bella was having the baby. "No, she is okay…for now. We do have a some problems though."

"What is it?" Carlisle asked, relaxing a bit.

"Well…first…one of Jacob's friends is in on this whole thing now." Edward sighed. "Jacob told Embry about Bella…"

"Why would he do such a thing? It's dangerous…" Carlisle shook his head.

"I don't think so. I read Embry's thoughts, they are pure. He wants to help…but I also read his worries. He doesn't know if he can control his phasing just yet." Edward explained.

"If he phases the pack will know everything." Carlisle sighed.

"Right…which means we don't have much time left here. We can't stay longer than necessary…" Edward said.

Carlisle nodded. "And we can't tell Jacob where we are headed…"

"I know." Edward agreed.

"And there is a second problem?" Carlisle asked.

"There is another wolf. Seth Clearwater phased." Edward said.

"Another one?" Carlisle's brow creased. "I have never seen a pack to this magnitude…"

"The wolves think it's because vampires are around." Edward said. "They think that the gene gets activated in more people when more vampires are in the area."

"Interesting theory…" Carlisle nodded slowly.

"They could be right?" Edward raised an eyebrow, hearing Carlisle's thoughts.

"Well…it is a theory…and it does explain why they always show up when we are around." Carlisle said, then horror danced across his face. "Do they know we are in Forks?"

Edward shook his head. "Not yet…they think we are in Seattle because its fairly close and so big it would be easier to hide Bella, or so they think."

"So they are going to Seattle?" Carlisle asked.

Edward nodded. "In a few days."

"I wonder why Billy has not told them that Bella is here. He knows, from Charlie, that Bella is home now, right?" Carlisle asked.

Edward nodded; he had not even thought about that before. "Maybe he told Jacob and just thought Jacob would tell the rest of them.

"Maybe…" Carlisle nodded, but his thoughts were already somewhere else. "We will need to leave once the baby is born. I don't want to risk anything…Bella can recover as we move."

"Where are we going to go?" Edward asked.

Carlisle shook his head. "I am not sure yet…maybe Canada or Vermont…or Alaska…"

Edward nodded, able to see Carlisle's thoughts and how jumbled they were.

"And…I don't think it will be wise for Bella to go to the hospital…in may draw unwanted attention. I can deliver the baby here…" Carlisle said.

"I'll talk to Bella about it." Edward said.

"Good." Carlisle smiled gently at his son. "You should probably get back to her…"

Edward nodded, knowing he had only been away from her for a short time but already he was miserable. He hated to be away from her, but especially now, when she was in such a fragile state.

* * *

Bella had just finished packing and putting her hospital bag by the door. She turned to waddle back to her bed, her feet hurting her but as she turned she practically jumped. Edward had, as usual, silently entered her room and scared her half to death.

"Sorry." Edward gave her a crooked smile.

"It's okay." Bella caught her breath and moved slowly to her bed. Edward was at her side in a split second, helping her into her bed and pulling the sheets up around her. "Thanks." She smiled.

"Sure." Edward moved a stray piece of hair from her face. "I wanted to talk to you."

"First, I wanted to thank you for today." Bella told him.

"For what?" Edward asked.

"For bringing Jacob." Bella told him. "I was glad I got to see him again…"

Edward nodded. "Well, he wanted to see you too."

"Still…that was very big of you." Bella told him.

"Jacob Black doesn't intimidate me anymore." Edward stretched out next to Bella on the bed, starring tensely at her. "I know where your heart lies…"

"Right next to you." Bella smiled at him, gently rubbing her swollen stomach as the baby did a summersault.

"Edward smiled widely. "Good."

"What did you want to talk about?" Bella asked.

"Uh…well…we have a little problem with the wolves being back…" Edward started. "I talked to Carlisle about it. He thinks it's a better idea if you don't go to the hospital to have the baby. He thinks it may draw attention to you from the pack. He wants you to have the baby at our house. He has all the equipment for it."

"I don't think Charlie will be too comfortable about that." Bella said.

"Charlie can't know." Edward told her, almost bewildered that she thought he would know.

"What do you mean he can't know?" Bella raised an eyebrow. "He would have to know so he could see me…"

"He can't see you." Edward told her, trying to read her expression.

Bella snorted and shook her head, moving both hands to her stomach and her shoulders slightly away from Edward. "I am not going to keep him from his grandchild. He deserves to at least see the baby…"

"Bella…" Edward's voice was soft now. "It won't be safe…"

"It's his grandchild, Edward. The only one he will ever get!" Bella began to almost panic. "I am not taking that away from him…I mean it's going to kill him when I leave, I can't imagine not letting him be any part of this…"

"Bella, it wouldn't be safe. Not for you, not for the baby, not even for Charlie. It's too big of a risk, especially with how close Charlie is to Jacob's father." Edward explained.

"It's one time." Bella said simply. "I am not taking that from Charlie."

"You are so stubborn." Edward shook his head.

Bella's mouth hung open at Edward's comment. It was not the first time he had called her stubborn, but for some reason it bothered her beyond words. She knew it was her hormones, but she couldn't help herself. "You think so?" She snapped.

"Bella…" Edward could hear from the tone in her voice that he messed up.

"Well if I am so stubborn that you can't stand it then just leave." Bella folded her arms the best she could over her stomach and looked away from him.

"Bella…you know I didn't mean it that way. It's just…you're not thinking straight right now…" Edward said.

Bella snapped her head back to him, glaring. "Now I don't think right? You know what, Edward, just leave!"

"Bella…" Edward started, hearing Charlie's cruiser coming down the street. He knew he only had about two minutes to resolve this little tiff.

"Leave!" Bella looked away from him again.

Edward sighed in defeat but followed her request, silently moving out the window. He would come back later that night, to make sure she was safe, but he knew he could not fix anything right now. He did need to go home for a moment anyway, to explain how Bella felt about the whole Charlie and his grandchild situation.

* * *

Sleep had found Bella quickly after Edward had left. Charlie had barely had enough time to come up and kiss her goodnight before she was out cold.

It was not until two in the morning that Bella woke with a start. She let her eyes adjust and noticed Edward was still not back. She knew she had been rude to him but she had not expected him to leave her alone all night.

She sighed, trying to flip onto her side when suddenly a sharp pain ran across her stomach, as if she had been hit with a baseball bat right in the ribs.

Bella's eyes went wide as she called out in pain. "Ow!" She knew exactly what was happening as if she had done it all before; she was having contractions and Edward was nowhere to be found.


	25. She's At The Hospital

Disclaimer: All characters and things associated with The Twilight Saga belong to Stephanie Meyers. This writing is for pure entertainment only.

Summary: Set during New Moon. After Edward leaves, Bella is miserable and Jacob is there for her until things go too far between them, leaving Bella in an unexpected condition. When Edward returns how will Bella explain her situation to him? B/E B/J pairings

**Chapter 25**

Bella screamed as another contraction ripped across her stomach. She was angry with herself now for kicking Edward out; she needed him more than ever.

Suddenly, the door to her bedroom flew open and a half-dazed Charlie stumbled in.

"Bella?" Charlie's voice was sleepy but full of panic. "Are you okay?"

"No…" Bella panted, trying her best to sit up in bed. "I think…its time…"

"Time?" Charlie's eyes were wide opened now. "Time for the baby?"

Bella just nodded, biting her lip. It was all she could do to keep from screaming. The contractions were ridiculously strong, she thought. Although she had never been pregnant before, she was sure that things did not hurt this fast; she blamed her pain on the extra strength that the child inside of her possessed from Jacob.

"Okay…well…let's just get you downstairs…" Charlie moved slowly and carefully, trying his best to get Bella out of bed and into his arms. He was grateful that she was so tiny because even with the extra weight from her pregnancy she was light enough for him to carry her.

In a few short seconds, Charlie had Bella downstairs and near the front door.

"I think…I can walk…" Bella told him.

Charlie nodded, gently easing her feet to the ground and placing her near a chair in the corner of the foyer. "I will be right back. I just need to get your bag."

Bella nodded and leaned against the Charlie for support with one hand while using the other to rub her tender belly.

A minute or two passed and Charlie was back downstairs with the bag Bella had packed in his hands. "Let's get you to the hospital now…"

Bella's eyes bulged at the words Charlie had spoken. Now she was not too sure she wanted to go to the hospital; maybe she should have listened to Edward, but she knew now she had no choice. She would go to the hospital because that was where Charlie would take her. She was beyond annoyed with herself for getting mad at him over such a good idea now. He was the only person she wanted during this and she had kicked him out. Now, she was in labor, with her father helping her to the car instead of her overprotective, god-like vampire boyfriend.

* * *

Edward found Carlisle in the living room with the rest of the Cullen's, all busy making arrangements to leave Forks as soon as Bella had her child. Everyone's eyes turned to Edward as he entered the room.

"You left Bella again?" Emmett asked.

"She asked me too…" Edward sounded sad.

"Are you two fighting, sweetheart?" Esme asked.

Edward shrugged, glancing at Carlisle. "Bella asked me to leave. She didn't like the idea of having her baby here…without Charlie knowing…"

"Charlie?" Carlisle raised an eyebrow. "I thought she was fighting with him just a few weeks ago…"

"She was." Edward pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. "But she got over it in the past few days…"

"Well, he is still her father." Rosalie spoke up. "Whether she is angry with him or not, he is still her family."

Edward raised an eyebrow, never before thinking Rosalie could be so insightful when it came to Bella.

"Was it really wise to leave her right now?" Jasper asked Edward. "Considering how far along she is…and how close the wolves are."

"I just came by to tell you that I don't think she will give in on this matter." Edward directed his attention to Carlisle.

Carlisle shook his head. "Well, we have to convince her to. Things could get very dangerous if we try to handle this any other way."

"Well…we better handle this fast…" Alice spoke up and everyone turned to see that her eyes were in a far off place. She was having a vision.

Jasper was instantly at Alice's side on the couch, holding her hand as she continued to see the future. Suddenly, Alice blinked and her eyes returned to her.

"Did you see something, Alice?" Carlisle asked softly.

Alice nodded, her blank expression now filled with worry. "I saw Bella."

"You can't see Bella." Edward reminded her, knowing Bella's future was blocked because she was carrying Jacob's baby.

"I can't when the baby is with her." Alice reminded him. "But…I don't think the baby will be with her for long."

"What?" Edward's eyes grew wide. "What are you saying?"

"I am saying that I can't see Bella's immediate future…but in a few hours I see her sitting in a hospital bed. Obviously the child in not inside of her anymore." Alice tried to explain.

"What?" It took things a second to register in Edward's head; when it did register, he panicked. "She is in labor?"

"Well…she is without the baby soon." Alice explained again.

"Damn it! I knew I shouldn't have left…" Edward was furious with himself. "You said the hospital, Alice?"

Alice nodded.

"Charlie would have thought that was the best option…" Esme tried to calm Edward down. "And had this been a normal pregnancy it would have been."

"But it's not." Edward was already half way to the door. "I have to get to the hospital. Carlisle?"

Carlisle was at Edward's side in the blink of an eye. "I'll drive."

"I'll come." Esme was at their side as well. "So she has a woman there…"

"And we will go tell Jacob." Alice offered, looking between Jasper, Rosalie, and Emmett.

"I…" Edward started then nodded fiercely. "Go tell him."

"Okay. Be safe." Alice said.

"You too." Edward nodded in agreement and then he, Esme, and Carlisle were out the door, in the car, and on the road to the hospital in mere seconds.

* * *

Charlie raced toward the Fork's hospital as fast as the cruiser would carry him as Bella sat panting in the seat next to him. Every once and awhile he would watch her double over her stomach in pain and it only made him more nervous. He just wanted to get her in the right hands.

"Almost there, Bells…" Charlie tried to sound calm but only sounded more worried than he had early.

"Ugh…" Bella gritted her teeth together and clenched onto the door handle for support as another contraction hit her. "Just…hurry…" She was panting.

"I am trying." Charlie nodded excessively.

"Just..no…no!" Bella began to panic now at the fact that she was going to the hospital. She suddenly realized she had been so stupid; she couldn't risk her or her baby like that. She had to go to the one place they would be safe. "I need you to…take me to the Cullen's!"

"What? Bella? You're being insane…" Charlie couldn't rationalize what Bella was saying.

"I need them!" Bella snapped as she fought through another contraction. She was like a mad woman.

Bella's behavior was starting to scare Charlie a bit so he caved on his original plan of keeping Edward from her; at least for now. It was not what Charlie wanted to do, but he honestly could not think of another way to calm Bella right now. "I will call Edward when we get to the hospital if you want…I just need to get you there."

"No! Dad!" Bella was getting frantic now.

"Bella, listen to me." Charlie was being stern now. "I am taking you to the hospital."

Bella wanted to argue more but she knew Charlie would never understand and as another contraction hit her, she knew she did not have the strength to continue fighting with her father so instead she closed her eyes and leaned back into her seat, concentrating on her breathing.

* * *

Alice, Jasper, Rosalie, and Emmett ran across the treaty line, hoping that Jacob would be the wolf to pick up their scent and not any of the other pack members. They were not prepared to fight any werewolves tonight and they knew if any other wolves saw them Bella and Edward would be in a huge amount of danger.

"Maybe this was a stupid idea." Rosalie spoke up. They had been waiting for a good ten minutes now.

Suddenly, a rustle from bushes south of the group caught their attention as the scent of werewolf filled the air, causing Rosalie, Jasper, Alice, and Emmett to all squish their noses up in disgust.

"Jacob?" Alice called out cautiously.

As if on cue, Jacob stepped out of the bush, followed by Embry.

"What the hell are you guys doing up here? It's dangerous." Jacob growled. "The whole pack smelled vampires…we were lucky Sam let us come check it out." He motioned to himself and Embry.

"So don't you think there is a good reason we are here?" Rosalie glared at Jacob, never having been a huge fan of the werewolf.

Jacob's face immediately went a shade paler. "Is it…Bella?"

"So you aren't as dumb as a dog…" Emmett snickered causing Embry to growl from his place behind Jacob.

Hearing the growl caused Emmett and Jasper to get a defensive stance immediately.

"Calm down, boys…no one is here to fight." Alice smiled at Jasper and Emmett before looking over at Embry.

"What happened to Bella?" Jacob ignored the obvious quarrel that had just taken place.

"She is at the hospital…" Alice started.

"She went into labor." Rosalie finished quickly, folding her arms across her chest.

"She…what?" Jacob's face appeared another shade of pale.

"She is having the baby…" Emmett rolled his eyes.

"Emmett…" Alice warned.

Emmett just shook his head.

"The pack can't find out, Jacob." Alice continued slowly, allowing the wolf to process everything she was saying.

Jacob just nodded, trying to wrap his head around the idea that his child was going to be born very shortly.

"They won't find out." Embry spoke up, seeing that Jacob was not exactly responsive at the moment.

"How are you going to make sure of that?" Jasper asked, his stance now calm and his hands folded behind his back.

Jasper's comment caused Jacob to snap back into reality. He turned quickly to Embry. "Embry, head back and spin by my house first…break all the phone lines."

"Phone lines?" Embry was confused.

"I won't risk Charlie calling to tell Billy about Bella…" Jacob explained.

Embry nodded, understanding now. "Got it."

"And tell Sam that the vamps ran West…they were hunting so I went after them. Make it seem like I need the backup…that way we can get the pack away from Forks." Jacob said.

"Sure. Got it. Is that it?" Embry asked.

Jacob nodded. "Go."

Embry nodded back and then took off quickly toward the reservation, ready to execute the plan that Jacob had requested of him.

"Great plan and all…except Sam will know you didn't run West." Rosalie rolled her eyes. "Your scent won't lead him there."

"Yes it will…" Jacob swallowed hard, wrapping his head around the rest of his plan. "I'll run West…as far and as fast as I can…right to the ocean…"

"I'll go with you…run alongside you…to mask your scent for the way back." Alice offered. "Rosalie, Jasper, and Emmett…you guys head home, incase Carlisle or Esme call."

Emmett and Rosalie nodded, but Jasper looked uneasy about leaving Alice alone with a wolf.

"I'll be fine, Jasp…" Alice smiled at him, as if she could read his thoughts, causing him to sigh but nod.

Jacob's brow creased in confusion. "The way back?"

"You need to get back to the hospital…" Alice shook her head as if it were something Jacob should have already known.

"But I'm not…" Jacob started. He had no plans of seeing Bella again, not now with so much danger so close; and he had no plans of ever seeing his child despite what he had promised Bella the day earlier. He knew it was too dangerous.

"Jacob Black…you _will_ go to that hospital." Alice said.

Jacob's head flinched at the assertiveness that coated Alice's voice. Still, he had no time to argue; he had to get running in order to keep Bella and his child safe. He would deal with Alice's request when they made it to the ocean.

* * *

Charlie pulled the cruiser up in front of the hospital just as Bella cried out in pain. He wiped sweat from his brow, thankful he had gotten her there, before he jumped out of his car and moved to her door.

By the time Charlie reached her door, however, Edward was already standing there with a wheelchair and Carlisle and Esme at his side. Charlie did not have time to process how Edward knew to come, nor did he care. He was just grateful to get the help he knew the Cullen's offered him.

"How is she doing, Charlie?" Carlisle moved forward.

"Not sure…have really only done this one time before." Charlie tried to joke, considering Renee had been the only pregnant woman he had ever really been around.

"Let me get her." Edward moved forward and effortlessly opened the door, moving in and relieved to see Bella in one piece, although the pain written on her face broke his heart.

"Edward…" Bella breathed, smiling a bit. "You're here…"

"Never far from you." Edward reminded her. "Let me get you out of here." He eyed her over once, realizing how delicate she looked as small beads of sweat dripped down her temple. He was not sure where to grab her.

"Urgh!" Bella clenched her jaw and closed her eyes as another contraction hit her.

Edward panicked, not knowing what to do and hating to see her in pain. He froze.

"Here…" Carlisle moved passed Edward and gently lifted Bella from the car and into the wheelchair just as her contraction ended.

"Carlisle?" Bella opened her eyes and a bigger smile ripped across her lips. She was relieved to see her doctor there.

"You're going to be fine, Bella." Carlisle smiled back at her. "I'll take good care of you."

Bella nodded, reaching out for Edward's hand. Instantly his cool palm collided with her sweaty one.

"Let's get her inside." Esme motioned to Bella as she patted a clearly shocked Charlie on the back.

Bella smiled the best she could at Esme as Carlisle pushed her wheelchair forward and Edward clung to her hand, walking right next to her.

* * *

Embry moved quickly around Billy's house, yanking the phone line in one swift motion. He knew Billy was inside the house and he knew if he were caught Sam would immediately know something was wrong. He was grateful that changing into a wolf had made his movements much more precise and yet easy.

Embry glanced around one last time, certain he was alone, before standing tall and running toward Sam's house to continue on with the plan Jacob had made for him.

Embry had missed one thing though and that was Seth Clearwater, who stood crouched down behind a stump about two hundred yards away. He had watched Embry break the phone lines and was beyond curious now. He quickly stood and followed after Embry.

Embry arrived at Sam's first to find Jared, Paul, and Sam on the porch.

"Sam?" Embry called out.

"Embry? Where is Jacob?" Sam stood tall now, glancing over Embry's shoulder to see Seth emerge. "Seth?"

Embry glanced back, noticing Seth had come from the same direction he had. He hoped Seth had not seen anything.

"Yeah." Seth nodded and approached the rest of the pack. "What's going on?"

"Jake's missing." Paul said, taking a bite out of an apple.

"No he's not. We found the leeches…they were trying to feed. Jacob chased after them…he headed West." Embry lied.

"Alone?" Sam seemed annoyed.

"I had to come back and tell you what happened." Embry explained.

"Do we need to go back Jake up?" Jared perked up at the idea of getting to chase down some vampires.

"I…I mean there were a few of them…" Embry lied, knowing he needed to get Sam away from La Push and Forks.

"Damn it." Sam growled, and turned toward Paul and Jared. "We need to move."

"Where are we going?" Seth was excited.

"You're not going anywhere." Sam told him. "It's too dangerous…for the both of you." He glanced at Embry now. "You're too new at this."

Embry nodded, trying to hide his relief. He had no desire to chase after the imaginary vampires and risk exposing everything to the pack with his thoughts in wolf form. He was more than happy to stay behind.

"What?" Seth was disappointed.

"Next time, little man." Paul teased as he patted Seth on the head and followed Sam and Jared toward the edge of the woods.

Embry watched as the three wolves disagreed into the woods and then let out a sigh of relief. He had done his job and now all that was left for him to do was sit and wait for Jacob to come back and explain their next move. He was looking forward to some quiet time.

Seth, on the other hand, had other ideas. Since he could not go with the pack his thoughts shifted back to what had been on his mind originally; he wanted to know why Embry was messing with Billy's phone lines, and he would find out. After all, he had quite a lot of time alone with Embry to find out.

"Hey Embry? Can we talk?" Seth asked.

Embry took a deep breath and closed his eyes before reopening them and nodding slowly. "But not right now. I am tired."

"Oh...okay." Seth nodded, watching Embry walk back to his house. He would get to the bottom of what was going on eventually, and he was sure of that. He knew letting Embry sleep for a few hours would not hurt his investigation much.

* * *

Carlisle had gotten Bella situated in the best available room and then immediately began checking all of her vitals as Edward hovered nervously over her left side and Charlie equally as nervous over Carlisle's shoulder on her right. Esme stood in the corner, gently smiling at Bella, which made her feel a little at ease.

"Well…Bella…" Carlisle smiled up after a moment. "Everything seems to be right on track. You're water did not break yet…but it is really only a matter of time so we should have that little one here soon."

Bella just nodded; she was still in a little bit of pain but her anxiety had left once she had seen Edward and Carlisle. She knew she was in safe hands.

"I…uh…should go call your mother." Charlie pointed to the door as he looked awkwardly at Bella. "You…uh…you gonna be okay for a little?"

"Sure, dad." Bella tried her best to smile. "Let her know everything is good though."

"Sure, sure." Charlie nodded and shuffled out of the room quickly. Now that he knew Bella was being taken care of he felt awkward being in the room with her while she was in labor; especially with Edward around and Charlie knew, as much as he wanted to, Bella was not going to let him kick Edward out.

Once Charlie was out of the room Bella immediately looked to Edward. "What are we going to do? I can't stay here…"

"Bella, you wanted to be in the hospital for this…" Edward reminded her.

"I know, but that was when I wasn't thinking clearly. Now…" Bella's voice trailed off as her eyes grew wide and she clutched onto Edward's cold hands in pain as a contraction hit her.

Edward was grateful his skin was as tough as stone. He had a feeling, if he were a normal man, Bella's grasp may have seriously injured him. He had to look away; he hated to see her in pain.

"Bella, honey…we have everything under control." Esme spoke, gracefully sliding up next to Carlisle once she knew Bella's contraction was over. "You and the baby are in no danger."

"Are you sure?" Bella asked, her voice now calmer.

"Positive." Carlisle smiled down at her. "You just focus on the baby right now. That is your only concern."

Bella nodded. "Okay."

"Well…I have to do a few rounds. I will be nearby if you need me, Bella." Carlisle told her.

"You're sure everything looks good?" Bella asked, wanting to make sure her baby was doing perfect.

"Everything is excellent." Carlisle assured her one more time before moving out of the room.

"And I will be outside. I want to see if I can get a hold of Alice or Rosalie." Esme smiled softly at Bella. "But I am right here if you need me to do anything for you that Edward can't handle…"

Edward glanced at Esme, slightly confused, until he saw a few scenarios of a screaming Bella, a crying Bella, and a Bella in pain place through Esme's thoughts; all images he could not handle and all things Esme knew he would not want to see Bella do. Edward was immediately grateful that Esme had come.

"Thanks, Esme." Bella smiled back at the vampire and then lay her sweaty head back on her pillow. She was exhausted already and she knew she had some time to go.

Once they were alone, Edward pulled a chair up alongside Bella; not because he needed to sit, but because he did not want to seem odd to anyone passing by in the hall.

"I am so sorry I didn't listen to you, Edward…" Bella immediately began.

"Shh…shh…Bella…" Edward gently ran his hand over her sweaty hair, pushing it off her face. "Forget about it now…"

"But Edward…" Bella began but stopped as she saw Edward sit straighter in his chair. "What?"

Edward shook his head. "Just Carlisle's thoughts from the other room…he thinks it might be best to break your water…" Edward could hear Carlisle through the thin walls of the hospital.

"Why?" Bella was immediately concerned. "Is something wrong?"

"No…" Edward shook his head immediately, still clearly listening to Carlisle. "He just thinks it may speed things along…so we can get you out of here faster."

"Oh." Bella nodded. "Sure then…whatever he thinks."

Carlisle was almost instantly in the door, having been able to hear Bella with his vampire hearing from his position in the room next door. "I was hoping you would say that." He moved quickly to the bottom of her bed. "Now…this may feel a bit strange…"

Bella just nodded and bit her lip as she held onto Edward's hand and felt Carlisle break her water.

* * *

Jacob slowed his run down to a walk as he neared the Pacific Ocean. He glanced over to his left to see Alice slowing her run down 50 yards from him. She wanted her trail far enough away that the wolves might confuse it for the vampire Jacob was apparently chasing. Jacob sighed; now he had to try to get rid of the vampire.

"Look…I'm not going back with you." Jacob spoke to Alice, but continued to look to the sea. "I think I am just gonna keep going…"

"Well you certainly can't swim across the Pacific…and anyway you are most certainly coming back." Alice was at his side in a flash, yanking him toward the trail she had already made.

"I can't…" Jacob shook his head.

"You know you need to be there…for Bella and your baby…" Alice reminded him.

Jacob looked down at his bare feet. "It will just make things more complicated…"

"What are you talking about?" Alice was confused.

"Because I can't stay…" Jacob said, unable to believe he was actually about to confide in a vampire. Honestly, he just needed to talk to someone. "I'll never know that baby…so why go and see it?"

"Well...right now you can't be near it but once thing whole thing with your pack blows over…" Alice thought she understood.

"No…" Jacob shook his head. "I'll never know that kid. Don't you get that?" He turned to Alice. "It was never about me for Bella…it's always been your brother."

"Edward has nothing to do with the relationship you have with your child, Jacob Black." Alice told him.

"I understand that…but realistically..any relationship I have with that kid is already gonna be strained because its mother's in love with a vampire and me and that vampire are mortal enemies…" Jacob explained.

"And that baby is going to have wolf blood in it. Don't you think it will be just as confused with Edward around?" Alice asked.

Jacob pondered that for a moment and then shook his head. "It will grow up with Edward…"

"But if this mortal enemy stuff is in our blood…which I am not arguing with you that it isn't than we can never get along?" Alice asked.

"Well…I mean…we get along okay when we have a common goal…like now…like keeping Bella safe." Jacob said.

"So then wouldn't the common goal be the baby?" Alice asked.

Jacob sighed and shook his head. "It is…that's why I can't go with you. I need to do all I can to keep the baby safe. That's all I can offer it…that's the only thing I can do as its father."

"It will kill Bella if you do not come and see her…and the baby…" Alice pressed.

"I know that." Jacob sighed.

"Because I know it's only going to hurt me more." Jacob said. "Because I still love Bella. Because seeing her with your brother kills me and because once I see that baby I know it will only make it harder for me to let Bella go. All I want is for her to be happy…but I don't want to drown in misery watching it."

Alice understood where Jacob was coming from but she still saw him as being stubborn. She knew it would make him feel better to see the baby; to understand what he was truly fighting for. "You're being a coward."

"I am not." Jacob protested.

"It's your baby you are leaving behind. Remember that because you will have to live with it." Alice said and then turned on her heal, walking back on the same path she had come on.

It took Jacob approximately a minute to catch up to her after he had contemplated what she had said. She said nothing to him as he walked silently next to her, but the smile on her face was unmistakable; Alice Cullen always got what she wanted.


	26. Trails to Forks and Labor Pains

Disclaimer: All characters and things associated with The Twilight Saga belong to Stephanie Meyers. This writing is for pure entertainment only.

Summary: Set during New Moon. After Edward leaves, Bella is miserable and Jacob is there for her until things go too far between them, leaving Bella in an unexpected condition. When Edward returns how will Bella explain her situation to him? B/E B/J pairings

**Chapter 26**

Bella grinded her teeth as another contraction passed. She then collapsed into her pillow, taking a deep breath as Esme wiped the sweat from her forehead.

Edward stood in the corner watching wincing as he watched the entire scene. He hated to see Bella in such pain; it was the only thing that truly hurt him. He felt so helpless in that moment; there was nothing he could do to comfort her or ease her pain and he hated it. He couldn't help but be angry with Jacob for getting Bella pregnant which ultimately had led her to be put through such pain.

Charlie stood on the opposite side of the room but equally as far from Bella as Edward was. Charlie too, was uncomfortable seeing his child in labor with her own child.

"Bella…do you want anything?" Edward asked, although he could not make eye contact with her as it pained him to see her in such a state.

"No…" Bella tried to smile. "Edward, I am fine…I promise…" She knew it hurt him to see her like this, but it was hurting her even more that he would not touch her now, when she needed him the most.

Edward just nodded, still looking at his feet as his hands dug deeper into his pockets.

"Well…since we don't seem like we will be much help, would you mind taking a walk with me, Edward?" Charlie asked.

Edward looked up, surprised. He had been so wrapped up in Bella's pain that he had not been listening to Charlie's thoughts. He had not seen this coming. "Uh…sure…" He glanced up at Esme.

"We will be fine in here…" Esme motioned to her and Bella.

Edward nodded and then followed Charlie out the door, both men carefully avoiding direct eye contact with Bella.

Bella sighed when Edward and Charlie had left. She was curious as to what Charlie wanted to talk to Edward alone about, but it was not her main focus. She was trying to concentrate on her breathing and the fact that Edward could not even look at her.

"Edward just don't like to see you hurt, sweetie…" Esme seemed to answer an unasked question in Bella's mind.

Bella just nodded, leaning back into her pillow and massaging her swollen stomach. She was ready for the baby to be born already and was thankful that Carlisle was doing all he could to speed her labor process up. "I know…"

"Most men don't handle this part so well…" Esme told her, motioning to Bella in the hospital bed.

"You think that's it?" Bella asked.

"Honey, it's not anything else." Esme assured her, patting her head with a washcloth. "Edward loves you very much…you shouldn't be worrying about him right now."

"No…I have loads of other stuff to worry about…" Bella sighed.

"I told you, the wolves are under control…just focus on the baby…" Esme told her.

As if on cue, another contraction hit and Bella shut her eyes tight, waiting for the pain to pass.

* * *

Embry sat nervously outside of his house, waiting to Jacob to come back. He hoped that Jacob's plan had worked and the rest of the pack would be far enough away that Bella would be safe. He knew Seth was around, but Seth did not worry Embry; Seth was too small and weak, if he even did figure anything out, Embry was sure Jacob would have a plan to silence him.

Embry was so caught up in his thoughts of keeping Seth in the dark that he did not hear Seth approach until the younger wolf was standing in front of Embry.

"Can we talk?" Seth sounded more assertive now as he asked; as if he had practiced on his entire walk over to Embry.

Embry sighed, taking a deep breath. "What?"

"I saw you cut the phone lines…" Seth kicked a rock on the ground, and then looked up at Embry. "I want to know why…"

Embry just shook his head, not looking directly at Seth.

"Embry?" Seth sounded less confident now. "Please? Tell me?"

"Jacob asked me to." Embry responded. He wouldn't lie to Seth, but he wouldn't' tell him the complete truth either.

"Why?" Seth asked, hope entering his voice a bit since he had gotten some information from Embry.

Embry looked away again. "I can't say…"

"Embry, you can trust me…" Seth pressed.

Embry ignored Seth and continued to look away from the other wolf.

"Look…I know Jacob didn't go West…" Seth sighed.

Embry glanced back to Seth for a second, confusion fluttering his face.

"I could tell when you told Sam…you were lying." Seth continued. "I could see it in your eyes then…and I can see it now. Something bigger is going on here."

Embry just continued to stare at Seth. He was not sure Seth could be trusted and even if he could be, it wasn't Embry's secret to share. If Jacob wanted Seth to know, Jacob could tell him. Embry sighed at that thought, knowing if Seth could be trusted; however, it would help Jacob and Embry out immensely in keeping Bella safe. Embry was caught in a sticky situation with no clue of what to do.

* * *

Esme made her way out into the hall. Carlisle had stopped in to check on Bella so Esme figured she could steal a few minutes to call Rosalie, Alice, Jasper, and Emmett without leaving Bella by herself. She had felt bad leaving Bella alone in the room and Edward and Charlie were still nowhere to be found.

Esme quickly wiped out her phone, dialing Rosalie's number, as if was the last call that had been made to her phone it was the easiest to reach. It rang only once before Rosalie answered.

"Esme?" Rosalie answered.

"Rose? How did everything go?" Esme asked her daughter.

"Well…we were able to tell Jacob…" Rosalie sighed. "He came up with some plan to run West to confuse the wolves…he thinks it will lead them away."

"Will it?" Esme asked.

"So far so good…" Rosalie said. "Just…Alice is with him."

"What?" Esme couldn't help the worry that filled her voice.

"She wants to cover his scent, so he can come back to the hospital to see the baby…" Rosalie explained.

"Well I hope that works." Esme shook her head, although she knew Rosalie could not see it through the phone. "If he leads them back here…"

"Alice has her head on right. She wouldn't put Bella in danger." Rosalie said. "Anyway…how is Bella doing?"

"As well as can be expected for a teenage girl in labor…" Esme sighed, glancing back at Bella's door. "Carlisle is in with her now, checking everything but he said everything is right on track."

"Good." Rosalie said. "How is Edward?"

"Not handling it so well." Esme explained. "He doesn't do well seeing Bella in pain…"

"He never did…" Rosalie sounded almost sarcastic. "Well, Emmett, Jasper, and myself are on our way to the hospital now. We will see you guys soon."

"Sure." Esme pulled the phone from her ear and turned it off before shoving it back into her pocket and moving toward Bella's door. She knew, when she stepped inside the room, she would again resume the roll that Bella's mother should have been playing. Esme did not blame Renee for not making it to Washington on such short notice, but she also knew Bella should not have to go through everything without another woman in the room, especially when both Edward and Charlie seemed so uncomfortable. Esme knew she had to keep Bella as calm as possible and so she would do all she could to help.

* * *

Carlisle finished examining Bella and smiled up at her as he wrote some things down on her chart. He then put his pen in his pocket and gently touched her leg in a reassuring way.

"Everything looks great, Bella." Carlisle told her.

"How much longer?" Bella whined. She was in pain and so tired. She just wanted the baby out of her now.

"Not much…a few hours maybe." Carlisle told her.

"Hours?" Bella felt her eyes bulge slightly. She was not sure she could make it a few hours.

"I would give you some medication for the pain…but I am afraid…with the child being half wolf, what the medicine would do." Carlisle explained.

Bella nodded with a sigh; that was something she would just have to except. She had not wanted her baby to come out all drugged up anyway. She gently placed both hands on her huge stomach and rubbed gently. "Well then we will be out of here in a few hours…"

"Bella…" Carlisle started.

"No." Bella opened her eyes. "I am sure I will be fine…we just need to get out of here, as far as we can. I want the baby as safe as possible and that means far from Forks. I trust you, I know you will take care of me on the road."

"Still…it may not be safe to move you for at least twenty-four hours…" Carlisle tried to explain. This was why he had wanted Bella to give birth at his home; so he could monitor in the safe and private environment and move her only when she was ready.

"That just gives the wolves another day to get closer…" Bella panted, trying to continue to speak as a contraction hit her full force.

"One day is not the end of the world…" Carlisle tried again.

"It could be. For us…" Bella motioned to her swollen stomach for emphasis after the contraction passed.

"Bella…we will get you out of here as quickly as possible without risking yours, or the child's health." Carlisle assured her.

"Then it needs to be immediate." Bella pressed. "I trust you, Carlisle. I know you will take care of us…just it will be safer if we are further from here."

Carlisle just nodded; he could not argue with her when she was actually making so much sense. He knew, for her safety and the safety of her baby, that time was of the essence and they would have to leave as soon as possible.

* * *

Jacob and Alice were only a few miles outside of Forks now, making them only a few more miles from the hospital. The run back had been silent, but Alice could tell Jacob was brooding over his decision to follow her. It did not matter to her though, as long as he was there, because she knew that was what Bella would want.

Suddenly, Jacob halted to a stop, a mile outside of Forks.

"I can't do this." Jacob spoke up, finally.

"We are almost there." Alice told him, knowing from her ability to see Bella in a few short hours that the baby was on its way and fast. "You don't want to miss it being born, do you?"

"That's exactly what I want." Jacob said quickly, looking away from Alice and sighing. "I don't want to be there…to see it…knowing I have to give it up."

"Jacob Black, I have told you once and I will say it again. Once everything blows over there is no reason for you not to be in your child's life…and any excuse you give me is just that." Alice narrowed her eyes at the wolf, knowing he had been trying to make excuses the entire time.

Jacob just sighed, rolling his eyes. He knew he could not argue with Alice and he found that kind of obnoxious, although he also was starting to think he liked her the best out of all the Cullen's so far. Maybe not every vampire was meant to be his enemy.

* * *

Sam, Jared, and Paul followed the trail Jacob had left all the way to the coast, where it abruptly ended on a cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

"You think he jumped in?" Paul eyed the great distance below to the icy water.

Sam was silent for a moment, eying the water and sniffing the air around them. "I don't know. Both trails end here."

Sam had no idea that Alice's trail, the vampire trail he was smelling, actually doubled back, rather than ended.

"I mean, Jake is a good swimmer and all…but that water looks cold…even for one of us." Jared remarked.

"Only one way to find out." Paul sighed, assuming they would figure out a way to descend the cliff and see if they could pick up Jacob's scent on the rocks below.

"I don't think Jacob went down there." Sam said after a moment.

"Why?" Paul asked.

Sam just narrowed his eyes; he could not explain the feeling he was having. "I just don't..."

"Well then, what are we gonna do?" Jared asked.

Sam was silent for another moment and then seemed to shrug, his eyes still narrowed as if he were deep in thought. "I don't know."

* * *

Carlisle checked in on Bella for the fourth time in that hour and could see she was in real pain, her contractions much closer together than before. Esme was at Bella's side, holding the girl's hand.

"How are you holding up, Bella?" Carlisle asked, calmly.

"I'm so tired…" Bella said truthfully as a contraction passed and she was able to relax for a moment. She gently lay back, placing her free hand on her huge stomach.

"Let's see how things are going…" Carlisle moved to the foot of Bella's bed and examined her before glancing over at Esme. "I think we are about ready to push."

"What?" Bella sat up, using her elbows to prop herself up so she could see Carlisle. "Already?"

"Bella, sweetie, that's a good thing…" Esme tried to sooth the girl.

"Where is Edward?" Bella seemed frantic now; she was ready for the labor to be over but she did not think it would be this soon. Edward was still not even back from his chat with Charlie and she needed him.

"I'll go get, Edward…" Esme stood, glancing at Carlisle. "Keep her calm please?"

Carlisle just smiled at his beautiful wife before turning his attention back to Bella. "Bella, you need to relax. Edward will be here soon and…"

"I am not having this baby until he is here." Bella said firmly, knowing it sounded ridiculous but not really caring.

"You don't have to push right this instant, Bella." Carlisle laughed a little. "But soon…when Edward gets here." He knew Bella wanted Edward to be with her, and Carlisle would not take that from either of them, especially when Edward was only down the hall. Carlisle, with his vampire hearing, could hear the awkward conversation taking place between his son and Charlie now.

* * *

Embry continued to stare at Seth, unsure of what to say to the young wolf. In his head, he knew it could end up being a terrible idea to tell Seth what was going on, but in his heart he believed Seth would not betray him or Jacob. He could not explain it, just a gut feeling.

"I can stand here all day." Seth said, trying to sound more assertive than he clearly felt. "So…tell me…"

Embry sighed, shaking his head and closing his eyes before looking back at Seth. He could feel it, he was caving. "If I tell you…it means you pick me and Jake. You can't phase around the pack…it would just make things more complicated."

"I don't care." Seth said, folding his arms across his chest.

"Could you even handle that? Can you control your phasing?" Embry asked.

Seth was hesitant to answer, as if he were truly weighing the question. After a moment, he nodded. "I can...I think. I won't have a choice, right?"

"Sure you do." Embry told him. "We can just forget all about this…"

"No." Seth cut him off. "I want to know…I need to know what is happening."

After a moment Embry nodded. "Fine."

Seth sat down next to Embry, an eager smile on his face. He was excited to be let in on the secret.

"Well…you are right about us lying to Sam…we did. We just needed the pack as far away from here as possible…" Embry began.

"Why?" Seth asked.

"Because Bella is around." Embry was not looking at Seth, but instead directly ahead. "And she is having the baby…in the Forks hospital. We couldn't risk the pack finding out about it."

"Bella…is here?" Seth raised an eyebrow. "And Jake knows?"

Embry nodded.

"But I thought Jacob wanted Bella dead…or to give up the baby or something?"

Embry shook his head. "It was an act. At first, Jacob was after Bella but then…when he realized what Sam planned to do…he changed his mind. He has been helping the Cullen's keep Bella safe."

"He has been helping vampires?" Seth was even more confused.

"For his kid…" Embry glanced at Seth now. "And I agree with them. They want to keep Bella safe, and keep her baby safe…and that should happen. She didn't do anything wrong…"

After a moment Seth nodded. "She really didn't. Jacob is doing the right thing."

"And now so are you and I." Embry told him. "Because now you are on our side. You can't turn on us…"

"No…no I won't." Seth assured him. "I want to help. She deserves it…and so does that baby."

Embry nodded, thankful that Seth had been so understanding and hopeful that, with more help, keeping Bella and the baby safe would be much easier for himself and Jacob.

* * *

Edward stood extremely still as he watched Charlie fidget in front of him. Edward, for once, was not exactly calm around Charlie because he could not really read Charlie's thoughts, mostly because Charlie kept changing his mind about what he was doing to say to Edward.

Finally, Charlie cleared his throat. "I…uhh…I wanted to talk to you, Edward."

"Certainly, sir." Edward nodded.

"Obviously…you are a little more important to Bella than I anticipated…" Charlie said gruffly.

Edward smile his crooked smile at Charlie's words knowing Bella was just as important to him as Charlie thought he was to her.

"But it doesn't mean I won't be watching you." Charlie told him. "When you left…you hurt her…hell, you practically killed her."

Edward's smile faded into a frown. "I know that."

"Well then know that if you ever do that to her again I swear I'll kill you myself." Charlie threatened. "Especially now. She has that baby to take care of, she doesn't need to be broken again."

"I would never do that to her again, sir." Edward said quickly, his voice full of honesty. "It kills me every day to know I did that do her."

"Well good." Charlie was caught off guard by Edward's response. "It…it should."

"And as for the child…I will take care of them both." Edward added.

"Well that is where I did want to thank you…and tell you it's not your job." Charlie said.

Edward raised an eyebrow, confused by Charlie's words.

"I just mean that…I know you have been there for her through all of this…and I want to thank you for it…but it's not your place. Jacob should be taking care of this…it's his child." Charlie explained. "Don't feel like you need to step up because he won't."

"Jacob is doing the best thing he can for Bella." Edward told Charlie, knowing his words were holding a double meaning that Charlie would never understand. "And I don't feel like I need to step up…I want to. I love Bella with everything I am and so, that baby is part of her and I will love it as if it were my own."

"You don't have to…" Charlie started.

"I want to." Edward cut him off.

Charlie gave Edward an awkward smile which was cut short as Esme came down the hall.

"Boys…I hate to break this up but…well looks like we have a baby ready to come." Esme said.

Edward and Charlie both looked a shade whiter for both of them, if that was even possible for Edward.

"Bella…" Edward started.

"The baby…" Charlie mumbled.

Both men were frozen and Esme laughed a little. "Yes, Bella is about to have the baby."

"Should we…" Edward glanced at Charlie.

"No. You go." Charlie motioned toward Edward. "I am sure Bella wants you in there."

"But she is your daughter…" Edward reminded Charlie. He was not sure he could watch Bella in so much pain.

"But she will want you." Charlie knew his daughter well, and also did not exactly feel comfortable watching her give birth.

"Edward…go." Esme said calmly. "Bella has been asking for you." She nudged her frozen son slightly and watched as he slowly walked toward the door to Bella's room.

Esme then smiled at Charlie. "You want to take a seat while we wait…" She motioned to some chairs next to them, seeing that Charlie looked slightly green. She just wanted to calm him down.

"Uh…sure…" Charlie answered numbly, sliding down into the chair next to Esme. He was in shock that his baby was really about to have her own baby.

* * *

Sam continued to pace on the rock, staring at the ocean below and wondering if Jacob had in fact jumped or possibly fallen to his own death. He cursed the vampire who had dragged Jacob this far away from the pack.

Sam inhaled once more, memorizing the vampire's scent and then he seemed to stop breathing as his back straightened up.

"What is it?" Paul noticed Sam's reaction.

"The vampire smell…" Sam clenched his jaw, turning toward Jared and Paul. "I recognize it."

"What are you talking about?" Jared was confused.

"It's not just any vampire…its familiar. It's a Cullen." Sam was furious now.

"A Cullen led Jake all the way up here?" Jared was confused. "But why would Jake go after them without us."

"Maybe he didn't go after them." Sam said. "Maybe it's a trick."

"Why would Jake trick us?" Paul asked. "He wants those Cullen's and Bella as bad as we do."

"Does he?" Sam questioned. "Then why has he been acting so strange? Why hasn't he phased in front of us? And why…if he jumped…don't we see a body?" Sam motioned to the edge of the cliff.

Suddenly, Jared and Paul were as furious as Sam. They all knew it; Jacob had been playing them all along.

"We need to get back…now." Sam ordered in his alpha voice, before phasing into his wolf form.

Jared and Paul quickly followed Sam, the three running as fast as they could back toward the reservation and Forks.


	27. A Miniature Version of Jacob

Disclaimer: All characters and things associated with The Twilight Saga belong to Stephanie Meyers. This writing is for pure entertainment only.

Summary: Set during New Moon. After Edward leaves, Bella is miserable and Jacob is there for her until things go too far between them, leaving Bella in an unexpected condition. When Edward returns how will Bella explain her situation to him? B/E B/J pairings

**Chapter 27**

Edward cautiously made his way back into Bella's room, not exactly sure if he would be able to handle seeing her in such pain. As he entered, he knew he wouldn't be able to. She was sitting up in bed slightly, sweating and panting and pain was clearly written across her face.

"Edward!" Bella gave him a weak smile, seeming almost relieved.

Edward returned her smile with his own nervous one as he then moved his eyes to Carlisle who was positioned at the bottom of Bella's bed.

"Why don't you get up by Bella's head and give her your hand so we can start pushing." Carlisle suggested.

Edward nodded, automatically and moved toward Bella's side, gently kissing her sweaty forehead and offering Bella his hand. "It will all be over soon." He whispered to her.

Bella nodded and waited for Carlisle's instructions as Edward swallowed hard and looked to the ceiling. He could not watch Bella like this; it was bad enough to be able to feel her pain through her almost bone-crushing grip on his rock-hard hand. He could kill Jacob for doing this to her.

* * *

Sam led Paul and Jared back toward La Push in record time. They were all in their wolf form, and running faster than any of them had thought possible.

_Not much further. Maybe twenty more miles._ Sam thought to the other members of the pack.

_Another two hours and we will be back at the reservation._ Jared decided.

_Right._ Sam agreed

_What is the next part of the plan? I mean...are we going for Jake or…_Paul asked.

_Yes. We find Jacob first. I am his Alpha, I can command him to tell us where Bella is. _Sam decided that would be the best way to handle the situation. He quickly let out a howl and pushed himself faster, forcing Paul and Jared to keep up with him.

* * *

Esme sat quietly next to Charlie in the hallway of the hospital as Charlie nervously rocked his legs in his chair. She could easily tell he was uncomfortable waiting to hear what was going on with Bella and her baby, but she also knew he would have been more uncomfortable had he gone into Bella's room.

"Do you uh…you think she will be in there for awhile now?" Charlie motioned with his head back to Bella's room. "I can't remember how long it was for Renee…long time ago."

"Probably not."Esme said sweetly. "This part is usually pretty fast."

Charlie nodded and fell into silence before clearing his throat and looking down at his hands. "I…uh…I owe you and Carlisle…for helping Bella out through all this...even Edward...maybe I didn't give him such a…a fair chance…"

Esme smile again. "Charlie, we understand why you did what you did. Edward did not treat Bella in the right manner when he left. We were disappointed in his behavior also so we certainly understand why you would hold something over his head a bit."

Charlie blinked twice. The Cullen's always seemed to amaze him. They were always nice and never rude, and always willing to help. He couldn't understand why Billy and his tribe seemed to hate them so much.

* * *

Embry and Seth paced outside of Jacob's house, waiting for Jacob to come back and tell them their next move.

"What if Alice gets him to go to the hospital with her?" Seth asked.

"Jake was pretty adamant about not going." Embry recalled.

"Still…that Alice girl seems like she gets what she wants." Seth said.

Embry nodded. "She does…well if he goes we will have to head over there. We will give him a little more time…"

Seth nodded and watched as Embry's eyes drifted off toward the woods, in the direction they had seen both Jacob and Sam run in hours earlier.

* * *

Rosalie, Emmett, and Jasper quickly made their way down the hospital corridor to find Esme and Charlie sitting in chairs in the hall. Esme saw them and quickly stood, glad that all of her children were safe.

"Where's Edward?" Rosalie asked.

"Inside with Bella." Esme motioned to the room behind them.

"No baby yet?" Emmett grinned, clearly more relaxed than anyone else in the hallway.

"Not yet." Esme said. "Soon though…"

"You excited to be a grandpa?" Emmett directed his attention at Charlie.

Charlie was dumbfounded by Emmett's kind and calm demeanor. He had never spoken to Emmett before and had always pictured the biggest Cullen brother, because of his sheer size, to have the toughest demeanor. Emmett's childlike grin through Charlie for a loop. "Uh…yeah…"

"Where is Alice?" Esme asked.

"She…found Jacob." Jasper said, after a moment.

"She what?" Charlie stood, shocked. "She went and looked for him?" He was impressed; as far as he knew Jacob had run out on Bella and no one had heard from him since.

"She thought…well she and Edward thought Jacob should be given the chance to be here…" Jasper explained.

Charlie didn't know whether he should be mad or happy. He was furious with Jacob for running out on Bella and forcing Edward to step into his role but he also still couldn't completely squash the bit of hope that Bella would chose Jacob over Edward. Charlie knew that was a slim to known chance, and that Edward was not exactly as bad as he thought originally, but he had always really liked Jacob.

Jasper could feel the confusion coming off of Charlie and sent a calming sensation toward the human, which was easily seen as Charlie took his seat next to Esme again.

"How much longer do you think it will take Bella?" Rosalie asked, glancing at the door to Bella's room.

As if on cue, Bella let out a loud scream and a stream of curses directed toward Edward and Carlisle. At first, everyone in the hall was shocked by Bella's mouth but after a moment, and no more screams they all relaxed and laughed a little, knowing Bella was only acting in such a way because of the labor.

* * *

Bella propped herself up on her elbows as the sweat poured off of her with each contraction. Carlisle had told her to start pushing a minute earlier and she was already tired. Worst of all, Edward was cowering at the bottom of her bed, next to Carlisle, afraid to look at her and wincing every time she screamed.

"Relax for a second, Bella…" Carlisle instructed her.

"Relax?" Bella glared at Carlisle. "How about you come up here and try this…"

Carlisle just chuckled to himself, and glanced at Edward as Bella collapsed down into the pillow. "Go hold her hand, son. She needs you…"

Edward glanced nervously at Bella for a moment and then turned back to Carlisle. "She seems okay…"

"EDWARD CULLEN!" Bella snapped her head up at the sound of his voice as if she were possessed. "You better just suck it up down there and get your butt up here! I need you right now and I don't CARE if seeing me like this makes you cringe! If you don't get over here and hold my hand I will GIVE you something to cringe about!"

Edward stood straight up, a shocked look on his face. He had never seen Bella act like that before. He moved to her side, as she had instructed him, as if he were a robot, passing a glance at Carlisle when he got by Bella's head.

Carlisle laughed and thought, so only Edward could hear him. _Don't worry about it, Edward. Most women are much worse than this…_

Edward's eyes grew wide at Carlisle's words. He could not imagine it being much _worse _than this.

"Edward…" Bella's voice caused Edward to turn back to her.

"Yes?" Edward said, automatically. He was scared of Bella and scared for her. He could see the pain and tiredness in her eyes.

"Remind me…to let you…kill Jacob if he ever comes back…for this…" Bella panted, giving a small smile.

Edward gave her his crooked smile, his tensions breaking at her small joke. He immediately relaxed and began to focus more on her. "I'll remind you…" He leaned in and kissed her sweaty forehead.

"Okay, Bella…one more push when I say and your baby will be here…" Carlisle told her.

"Urgh…I can't…" Bella began to cry. "I don't want to do this anymore…"

"Little late for that, Bella." Edward laughed a bit.

"Shut up." Bella glared at Edward, causing his laughter to immediately stop.

"Okay, Bella…all you got!" Carlisle said as Bella's next contraction hit.

Bella grunted and groaned and screamed and then her screams were defended by the louder, higher-pitched scream of a newborn.

"It's a boy!" Carlisle held Bella's son up in the air.

Bella immediately began to cry and heave her shoulders as Carlisle wrapped and weighed the baby, who had already stopped crying and then, gently handed him off to Bella.

"Congratulations…" Carlisle smiled at her before quickly leaving the room, wanting to give Bella and Edward some alone time with the baby.

Bella took in her son's features in awe. He looked like a miniature version of Jacob, but with her big brown eyes; Charlie's eyes. Everything else about the baby screamed that he was a Black. He had a head of black hair already and his skin was a rustic bronze color, despite the fact that he was a newborn. His lips were full, exactly like his fathers.

"He's beautiful, Bella…" Edward spoke softly.

"He…he…looks like Jake…" Bella choked out in a whisper; she had fallen in love with her son almost instantly.

The baby yawned at the mention of his real father's name.

"He does…" Edward nodded, and had to agree. The child looked exactly like Jacob, which Edward found odd because he had not lied when he told Bella her son was beautiful. He was one of the best looking babies Edward had ever seen.

Bella stared at her son for a few more minutes, in awe that she had created such a beautiful little thing.

"Do you…have a name for him?" Edward asked, gently stroking Bella's hair.

"J.J." Bella said instantly, her eyes never leaving her son. She had never thought it could be possible, to love someone more then she loved Edward, but she loved J.J. instantly in a way she could not even describe.

"J.J.?" Edward raised an eyebrow.

"Jacob Junior." Bella said, finally looking away from her son to stare at Edward. "If Jacob isn't really going to be in his life, I still want a reminder of his dad."

Edward nodded, a small smile on his face. "J.J. is great." He knew he would, if Bella let him, fill in the role of father to J.J.; he already loved J.J., but Jacob would always be his biological father.

The baby gurgled at the sound of his own name.

Bella turned her attention back to her son. "Hey there J.J., I am your mommy…and this handsome man…" She motioned to Edward. "Is Edward and he loves us both very much…" Bella started, but then stopped, knowing she could not expect Edward to have the instant connection she did with her son.

"I do love you, little guy." Edward spoke to the baby, but knew it relieved Bella to hear it out loud. "And your mom very much…and on the plus side, you smell like a wolf…which doesn't sound very tasty to me…"

"Really?" Bella raised an eyebrow. "He smells like a wolf already?"

Edward nodded. "Jacob did too…even before his change. It's in their blood…it's just a matter of it they phase or not…"

"So…he isn't all human…" Bella felt her eyes well up as she glanced down at her son. She did not want him to become a werewolf. She didn't know the first thing about raising a werewolf.

"Well…neither is Billy…and he never phased." Edward reminded her.

"That's because there were no vampires around…" Bella continued to tear up. "But you guys will always be around him…so he will…phase…"

"Shhh…" Edward softly kissed Bella's head. "Let's not worry about it right now. Just be happy he is here."

"I am…I am so happy." Bella nodded, glancing down at her son and meaning every word. She had never been happier in her life. The baby she had worked so hard at protecting for the past 9 months as he grew inside of her was finally here, and she loved him with every fiber of her body.

"And I am so proud of you." Edward kissed her again. "But I don't want to hog either of you…" He gently ran his hand over J.J.'s head. "Do you want me to go tell your dad?"

Bella nodded feverishly. She had almost completely forgotten Charlie was outside until Edward mentioned him, but she could not wait for Charlie to meet J.J. "Please."

"Sure thing." Edward kissed Bella quickly on the lips before moving toward the door, at his vampire speed.

* * *

Alice and Jacob were insight of the hospital now and Alice realized she could finally see Bella's future. She saw Bella in a hospital bed taking a nap in a few hours which only meant one thing, Bella had given birth already.

"Well…your baby is here." Alice said, almost defeated. She had hoped to get Jacob there before the baby was born so he could witness the birth of his child.

"What?" Jacob stopped walking and turned to the vampire next to him.

"I can see Bella's future…which means your baby is already born because she isn't being blocked by it anymore." Alice explained.

After a moment, Jacob nodded. "Well…maybe you should just head down there without me then." Jacob motioned to the hospital parking lot at the bottom of the tree-filled hill they were standing on.

"What?" Alice looked at Jacob.

"Its just…I didn't even make the birth. Maybe I'm not meant to be a part of this…" Jacob motioned to the hospital again. "Edward probably took great care of Bella already…"

"I am sure he did, but that doesn't mean you don't get to see your child." Alice said.

"I just…I don't know…" Jacob looked at his feet.

"What is your problem, mister?" Alice threw her hands out. "This is your kid! _Yours_! You deserve to see it and it deserves to see you!"

"It won't even remember me…" Jacob said.

"That's not the point!" Alice shook her head and then reached out, grabbing Jacob.

"Why is this so important to you?" Jacob asked, suddenly.

"Because it's important to Bella." Alice said, matter-of-factly. "Because you are important to her. Trust me, I know her. She loves my brother…but she loves you too, Jacob Black."

"It's not the same…" Jacob told her.

"No, it's not the same, but it doesn't mean she doesn't care about you." Alice said. "You are her best friend, Jacob, and I know you were there for her when Edward wasn't…so please…do this for her."

Jacob sighed and nodded after a moment, reluctantly allowing a pleased Alice to lead him toward the hospital. The things he would do for Bella, just to see her happy, were ridiculous, even to him sometimes; yet he couldn't stop. Her happiness was his drug, and he knew it would poison him in the end. He had already lost her, walked away from her so many times before, he didn't think he could handle one more; he just couldn't say that to Alice.

* * *

Embry and Seth sat patiently on Jacob's porch. Billy was asleep already, and the two werewolves knew that their silent, stealthy movements would not be enough to wake Jacob's father. Neither knew exactly what they were waiting for; a sign maybe, that Jacob was coming back.

Suddenly, Embry's back stiffened as he took a huge whiff of air in his lungs.

"What is it?"Seth noticed Embry's reaction.

"Smell them?" Embry stood now.

"Who? Smell who?" Seth also stood.

"The pack." Embry said, almost panicking. "I can smell them now…they are nearby."

Seth smelled them too now. "How close?"

"Few miles." Embry said. "We have to warn the Cullen's…"

"What about Jake?" Seth asked.

Embry shrugged. "If he isn't with him then we can't worry about it. This may be all we can do for him now…you need to go. Go to the hospital…warn whoever is there that the pack is back."

"Do you think Sam and them figured it all out?" Seth asked.

Embry listened for a moment and then nodded with a sigh. "They are running back so fast. They must know something…"

"Great." Seth took a deep breath.

"Just go. Please, Seth. Warn them. I am going to stay here and try to stall the pack." Embry said.

Seth nodded and took off as fast as his human leg's would carry him in the direction of the Forks hospital, where he hoped he would be able to at least warn the Cullen's and Bella with enough time for them to get to safety.

* * *

Carlisle had exited Bella's room with a smile on his face to find Esme, Charlie, Rosalie, Emmett, and Jasper all silently starring up at him.

"How is…did she…is the…" Charlie stammered.

"Bella is fine, Charlie." Carlisle said calmly. "And so is your grandson."

"My…my…grandson?" Charlie couldn't help but smile.

"Alright a boy!" Emmett grinned, thinking of all the things he could potentially teach Bella's son.

"If she is smart, Bella won't let you near him." Jasper whispered to Emmett, already knowing what Emmett was thinking.

Emmett creased his eyebrows together at his brother.

"How is Bella doing?" Esme stood, moving toward Carlisle's side.

"She is fine. She did great." Carlisle said.

"How did Edward hold up?" Rosalie asked, knowing how seeing Bella even bump her elbow made Edward cringe. She had no idea how he would hold up watching her in labor.

"He…managed." Carlisle chuckled a bit.

As if on cue, Edward opened the door and came out into the hallway, beaming as only a father could; as if Bella had just given birth to his child instead of his mortal enemies, Jacob Black's, baby.

"Edward? What are you doing out here?" Carlisle asked.

"Bella wants to see dad." Edward turned to Charlie. "And J.J. wants to meet his grandpa."

"J.J.?" Charlie raised an eyebrow at the apparent name of his grandchild.

"Bella picked out his name…Jacob Junior." Edward said, his smile never fading. Nothing could break his happiness right now.

Charlie, on the other hand, was not so happy about the name and Edward could hear Charlie's uninformed thoughts. _Damn…Jacob doesn't deserve the kid to be named after him he hasn't even been around…what was Bella thinking? At least this Edward kid seems to be stepping up…_

Edward smiled a little wider at Charlie's thoughts, trying not to laugh out loud about them. "You should probably head in there, Chief Swan."

Charlie nodded and stood, awkwardly sticking his hand out toward Edward's. "Thank you, Edward…for…uh…everything."

Edward nodded, quickly shaking Charlie's hand before Charlie realized just how cold Edward's palm was. He then watched Charlie take a deep breath before opening the door to Bella's room.


	28. Don't Have Much Time

Disclaimer: All characters and things associated with The Twilight Saga belong to Stephanie Meyers. This writing is for pure entertainment only.

Summary: Set during New Moon. After Edward leaves, Bella is miserable and Jacob is there for her until things go too far between them, leaving Bella in an unexpected condition. When Edward returns how will Bella explain her situation to him? B/E B/J pairings

**Chapter 28**

Charlie slowly made his way into Bella's hospital room to find her sitting up in bed, holding a blue bundled. She looked tired but also beautiful at the same time. He was so proud of his daughter.

"Hey grandpa…" Bella smiled at Charlie.

"Hey." Charlie moved around the bed, closer to Bella.

"I have someone for you to meet." Bella said, holding the blue bundle out to Charlie. "Dad, meet your grandson…J.J."

Charlie glanced down at the tan baby in Bella's arms and instantly fell in love with him, even if he looked exactly like Jacob. "He is so handsome…even if he looks like his dad…"

"Jake's not so bad dad…and look what he gave me." Bella smiled down at J.J. in her arms.

Charlie nodded, deciding it was best not to throw Jacob under the bus at the present moment. "Well…you should be very proud. I know I am."

"Thanks." Bella smiled up at her dad, fighting back the tears that threatened her eyes. She knew that this would be the first and last time Charlie ever saw his grandson.

"Edward says you did wonderful." Charlie sat down in the chair next to Bella's bed that had been previously occupied by Edward.

"I did my best…" Bella nodded, and then looked down at J.J. whose eyes were closed. She then looked back at her father. "Dad, do you want to hold him?"

"I…uh…sure." Charlie stood, moving slowly toward Bella's bed with outstretched arms.

Bella gently handed J.J. off to Charlie and couldn't help the few tears that escaped from the corners of her eyes. The image of Charlie holding J.J. was not something Bella wanted to forget anytime soon.

"Hey, little guy…" Charlie cooed at J.J. as he sat down with the infant. "I am your grandpa Charlie, and we are going to be best buddies…when you get older…we are going to go fishing and hunting…and I'll teach you to play football…"

Bella began crying uncontrollably at Charlie's words; not only because they were things that she wanted her son to be able to do, but because Bella knew that Charlie would never get the chance to teach her son any of those things. Charlie would never see his grandson again after he left the hospital that day.

* * *

Alice floated down the hospital hallway with Jacob a few steps behind her. She immediately hurried when she saw Edward, Esme, Carlisle, Jasper, Rosalie, and Emmett all outside.

"Alice?" Jasper looked up, a grin on his face that Alice was safe.

"Here in one piece." Alice knew Jasper had been worried. "And with extra baggage…" She motioned to Jacob who stood behind her, his hands in his pockets.

"Jacob…" Edward stepped forward. "I am glad you are here. It will mean a lot to Bella…"

Jacob just nodded; anything for Bella. Even if it killed him, Jacob knew he could never fight against one of Bella's requests.

"How is she?" Alice asked Edward, inquiring about Bella.

"Good. She is in her room with Charlie right now…and J.J." Edward beamed as if he were the child's father instead of Jacob.

"J.J.?" Jacob spoke up, unable to decide if he liked the name Bella had given his child.

"Jacob Junior." Edward explained.

Jacob grinned a little, his chest sticking out. He liked the name; if he could never be with his son at least he knew Bella was not trying to erase him from his child's life completely.

"You should go in and see her, Jacob." Esme told the werewolf, her kind voice making Jacob feel at ease. "I am sure it will mean a lot to Bella…"

"And you deserve to see your son." Alice added.

Jacob looked to Edward, as if he needed approval.

"She wants to see you." Edward nodded, reading Jacob's thoughts. "Just…be careful…Charlie is in there right now…"

"No he isn't." Charlie was in the hall now. He had heard Jacob's voice from the room. "And he isn't too pleased with you, Jacob Black…but we can talk about that later."

"Yes sir." Jacob nodded at Charlie.

"Go on in then…" Charlie motioned to Jacob.

Jacob nodded again and slipped past Charlie and into Bella's room.

As Edward watched Jacob enter the room, his brow furrowed and his muscle's tensed. He could hear Seth coming closer now, his thoughts screaming in Edward's head.

"Edward…what is it?" Carlisle could see his son was tense.

"Something is wrong. Seth is here." Edward blurted out so fast that only his family could hear it. Charlie was oblivious to the entire conversation.

"Edward…" Charlie took Edward's tenseness for his worry of Jacob in Bella's room. "Don't worry about Jake. Bella really does love you…I can tell…"

"Thank you sir." Edward nodded to Charlie, trying to not be rude.

"Well, I am going to get heading back to work. I'll be by tomorrow." Charlie stated, sticking his hand out to Carlisle. "Thanks for everything."

"My pleasure, Charlie." Carlisle shook his hand.

"See you all later." Charlie gave a nod to the rest of the Cullen's and moved down the hall, toward the elevator.

The second Charlie was out of hearing range, all the Cullen's turned back to Edward.

"What do you mean, Seth is here?" Rosalie asked.

Edward shook his head. "I don't know…he is close now…he is just screaming my name."

"We should go out and meet him." Emmett suggested.

Edward nodded. "A few of us…just in case Bella needs something. I'll go."

"Emmett and Alice, why don't you two go with Edward?" Carlisle suggested.

Emmett and Alice both nodded, swiftly following Edward down the hall and toward the stairs where they could move much faster than any elevator.

* * *

Embry was now standing near the edge of the woods. He could hear the rustling of the trees and he knew the pack was near. He was worried what kind of a mood they would come back in, and what he would tell them if they cornered him about Jacob.

As if on cue, Sam, Paul, and Jared busted through the trees in their human form. They had changed moments earlier.

"Embry!" Sam bellowed as the pack moved quickly toward Embry.

"You're back." Embry tried to sound surprised. "Did you get the vampire?"

"No." Sam said.

"And we didn't get Jake either…" Jared added.

"What do you mean?" Embry tried to sound as confused as possible, and he was slightly confused.

"Jake played us all!" Paul seemed furious. "He's been screwing around with us for months now and siding with those blood-sucking Cullen's!"

"What?" Embry was nervous now. How had the pack deducted that so quickly. "What do you mean?"

"We picked up the scent of one of the Cullen's mixed with Jacob's. He's been working with them…" Sam said.

"How do we know the Cullen's didn't…attack him?" Embry tried.

Jared, Paul, and Sam glanced at each other, as if they were thinking for a moment, but then Sam shook his head.

"His behavior has been too strange…and his scent wouldn't have been so mixed with the vampires. There would have been an altercation and that was it…and we would have found Jacob's blood, or pieces of the leech." Sam said.

"Well...what are we going to…do about it?" Embry asked, frantically trying to stale the rest of his pack from looking for Jacob. He knew now, as he stood in front of Sam, that he would not fight against Jacob, he would stand with his friend. He would fight Sam, even if it meant he would die doing it.

"We came back to get you and Seth. And then we are going to find Jacob and end this." Sam said.

"End this?" Embry asked.

"He is with the Cullen's." Paul growled. "If he stands in our way, we take him down. Bella…that child…everyone…"

"I…uh…" Embry didn't know what to say.

"Where is Seth?" Sam looked around.

"Out. With his mom." Embry lied. "Sue…needed him for something…"

Sam nodded. "Fine. Then we move without him."

"I…" Embry tried, but it was too late, the other members of the pack were already heading toward the woods, ready to continue to follow Jacob and Alice's trail. Embry knew he couldn't follow them. If he phased, then they would all know about Jacob's plan. Embry couldn't do that, so he didn't. Instead he took off running in the other direction, toward his car. He needed to get to Jacob first.

* * *

Jacob slowly moved into Bella's room, as if he were unsure if he really belonged. In truth, he knew he didn't. It may be his son in the room with Bella, but only biologically. He knew Edward belonged in their much more than he did.

Jacob was so lost in his own thoughts that he never realized Bella had not heard him come in. When he found her, she was sitting up in bed, holding a blue bundle in her arms, her eyes locked on the child wrapped in the blanket. She looked memorized.

Jacob cleared his throat, causing Bella to look up, a sense of shock grabbing her face.

"Jake?" Bella barely could get his name out.

Jacob smiled. He had missed her voice. "Bells…"

"I knew you would come." Bella said softly, her eyes never leaving Jacob.

"I can never break a promise to you." Jacob admitted.

Bella nodded, and then glanced down at the bundle in her arms, tears managing their way to the corner of her eyes. "I have someone for you to meet, Jake."

Jacob nodded, unsure of what to do.

"Come here…" Bella told him.

Jacob was reluctant to move, but found his feet shuffling anyway. Soon he was at the side of Bella's bed, glancing down at a miniature version of himself. He could not believe the resemblance the baby in Bella's arms had to him. He could not believe she was holding his son.

"Jake…this is Jacob Junior…" Bella glanced between her son and his father.

"J.J." Jacob breathed, awed by the small baby he had helped Bella to create.

Bella nodded, a few tears falling down her cheeks. "Do you…want to hold him?"

Jacob shook his head, his hands immediately flying to his pockets. "Bella…I…I can't…"

"Jake…he is your son…" Bella said.

Jacob shook his head. It was one thing to come, to see the baby, but he would not hold him. He could not. He knew it would only make him feel guilty in the end. "I…its better this way, Bells…"

"Jake…" Bella whispered. "Please? For me?"

Jacob's heart broke for her, as it always did when she requested something of him that he did not want to give her. He knew now, he would do whatever she asked; forever trapped by the power Bella Swan would always have over him.

"Okay…" Jacob said softly, reluctantly stretching his arms out as Bella handed over baby J.J. Jacob took his son awkwardly, never really ever having the opportunity to be around an infant until right now. He was scared as he held his son; the child was so small in Jacob's large arms and he knew he could crush the baby in one second flat, just like any of the other wolves could. He knew they could never find his son.

J.J. opened his eyes and locked his with Jacob's. Jacob immediately melted under the baby's stare not just because it was his son, but because J.J. shared a familiar pair of eyes, Bella's eyes. Jacob could tell instantly, that despite all that the child had inherited from him, he had gotten Bella's big, chocolate eyes and they were beautiful.

"I can't thank you enough, Bella…" Jacob whispered, his eyes never leaving J.J. "He is perfect."

Bella nodded. "He is."

Jacob smiled one more time back down at his son and then shifted the baby back to Bella's arms. Immediately, he felt empty, handing his son back, knowing he would probably never hold him again. "I can't stay very long, Bella…but I am glad I came back…to meet him."

"I'm glad too." Bella nodded, understanding. She knew her time with Jacob was limited now. She knew, if he kept his promise, like he had kept so many others, she would never see him again. J.J. would never see his father again.

"Edward will take good care of both of you." Jacob continued, smiling a bit. "Never thought I'd hear myself say that outloud…"

Bella smiled sadly. "Jacob, you don't…I want you to be in your sons life…"

Jacob shook his head. "You know that isn't safe."

"Come with us." Bella said. "We can all just…just go…we will figure something out…maybe the wolves won't ever find any of us…"

Jacob laughed a little to himself, shaking his head. "Bella, I won't play the third wheel for the rest of my life…"

Bella was hurt by Jacob's words, though she understood. He knew she would always love Edward more then she could ever love him.

Jacob noticed he had hurt her. "Plus…its just not safe. Sam will find me, eventually. I can't risk you…or J.J." Jacob motioned to his son. "He is too perfect…and you are too perfect…and I won't ever let anyone hurt either of you. I promise."

Bella nodded. "You always have been good at keeping promises."

Jacob smiled, and it was the same familiar, warm Jacob smile that Bella had not seen in so long. It made her heart flutter.

"I gotta go." Jacob told her, running a hand over J.J.'s head, before bending down to kiss the infant. "I love you, little man." Jacob then moved up to Bella, kissing her on the cheek. "And I love you."

Bella smiled, despite the tears falling from her eyes. She knew now, this was really the last time she would ever see her best friend. She was letting Jacob Black go forever. "I love you too, Jake."

Jacob smiled at her words and then nodded, gracefully moving out of the room before he had time to think and turn around to tell her what he really wanted to say: that he would run with her and Edward and the Cullen's forever; that he didn't mind playing the third wheel, as long as she was happy. Nothing sounded more appealing to Jacob as he moved out of her hospital room.

* * *

Edward, Emmett, and Alice were all standing on the tree line of the woods that boarder the hospital, waiting for Seth. Edward could tell the wolf was close enough to hear him now, so he spoke aloud.

"Seth, we are here." Edward told him.

A second later, a rustle came from the right of Alice and Seth Clearwater emerged in a pair of cut-off shorts.

"Seth, what's wrong?" Edward asked.

"They know…" Seth panted, out of breath. Images of Sam, Jared, and Paul flew through his head, and Edward could guess exactly what he meant.

"Who knows?" Emmett asked.

"The pack…" Seth caught his breath now. "Or…at least we think they do…"

"They know about Bella?" Alice asked, immediately concerned.

"I'm not sure." Seth admitted. "Embry told me to come warn you they were moving back in the area and rather fast. He was sure they knew something. We wanted to wait and see if Jacob came back, but we just didn't think we could risk it…"

"Jacob is here." Edward told him.

Seth nodded, his lips tight as he glanced at Alice. He knew she would get her way. "Then it was a good idea I came here…"

Edward nodded in agreement. "We don't have much time, do we?"

"No." Seth shook his head. "I don't think so…"

"We gotta get Bella out of here." Emmett said, crossing his arms over his chest. "Or at least you, and Carlisle and Esme gotta get Bella out of here…"

Edward read Emmett's thoughts and shook his head. "We are not splitting up. I am not leaving you…or any one behind to handle the wolves…"

"If we all keep running that's all we are ever gonna do." Emmett said. "If some of us stay…and handle it…Bella can come back."

"It's too risky." Edward said. He would not risk his family's well-being. "We move together."

"And leave three wolves to take that pack down?" Emmett motioned to Seth.

"There are only four of them. We could handle it." Seth said. "But it can't come to that…we don't want to kill any of them." Seth knew both Embry and Jacob felt that way as well. The pack was still the pack, regardless of the fact that they did not see eye-to-eye on this subject. He did not think any of them would kill one another. They cared too deeply for their brothers.

"We just need to focus on getting Bella out of here." Edward said. "Seth, I'll send Jacob out."

"Thanks, Edward." Seth said. "And good luck."

Edward smiled at the young wolf. "Thank you…for everything."

Seth just nodded as he watched Edward, Emmett, and Alice hurry back across the parking lot of the hospital.


	29. We Have to Move

Disclaimer: All characters and things associated with The Twilight Saga belong to Stephanie Meyers. This writing is for pure entertainment only.

Summary: Set during New Moon. After Edward leaves, Bella is miserable and Jacob is there for her until things go too far between them, leaving Bella in an unexpected condition. When Edward returns how will Bella explain her situation to him? B/E B/J pairings

**Chapter 29**

Edward, Emmett, Alice, and Seth made their way quickly through the hospital and back to Bella's hall where they found Carlisle, Esme, Rosalie, and Jasper all patiently waiting for them. All of the Cullen's could tell, by Edward's body language alone, that something was wrong.

"What happened?" Carlisle spoke up.

Before anyone could answer the oldest vampire, the door to Bella's room opened and Jacob stepped blissfully out into the hallway, a smile on his face. He was so happy to have met his son. However, his smile immediately faded as he saw Seth in the hallway.

"What's wrong? What happened?" Jacob moved through the Cullen's toward Seth.

"They will explain it to you." Edward motioned to Emmett, Alice, and Seth as he continued passed his family and Jacob and toward Bella's door. "I need to talk to Bella."

Everyone watched as Edward entered Bella's room, and waited for the door to close before they turned their attention back to Alice, Emmett, and Seth.

"Well…the pack figured everything out. We think." Seth said.

"What do you mean?" Jacob asked.

Seth shrugged. "They were heading back to the reservation. I didn't stay around to see why exactly, but they were moving pretty fast. Embry told me to come warn you. He stayed behind to meet the pack."

"They probably already made it to the reservation by now." Alice added.

Jacob nodded, absorbing what he had heard. "Well then…" Jacob turned toward the Cullen's. "Bella's gotta get out of here…"

Carlisle nodded, in agreement. "Yes, she does."

"But what are you going to do?" Rosalie asked. She did not like Jacob by any means, but she was curious as to what the wolves plan was.

Jacob shrugged after a moment. He had to think long and hard what his next move would be, and he was not sure. More than anything, he wanted to stay by Bella's side, to know she was safe, but he knew he could trust Edward to keep both her and J.J. safe. Jacob knew his place no longer belonged next to Bella, though it was something he did not want to fully accept.

* * *

Edward slowly made his way into Bella's hospital room, trying to hide his worried expression from her. He gave a small, tight smile, when she glanced up from her bed. She was still holding J.J. in her arms, and her smile had been unmoved since she had first gotten hold of her son.

"Thank you…for getting Jacob here." Bella smiled.

"That was all Alice." Edward responded, moving around the bed to run a hand over J.J.'s head. The small infant eyes were closed and he was fast asleep.

"Well, remind me to thank her then." Bella's voice was a whisper. She did not want to wake the sleeping baby in her arms.

Edward nodded, his smile still tight over his lips. It was not his usual grin. Bella noticed it immediately.

"What's wrong?" Bella asked.

Edward closed his eyes for a moment. He knew he could not keep Bella in the dark for long. "Bella…I don't want you to worry but…it looks like we have to get going. Now."

"Now?" Bella's smile faded for the first time since she had given birth to J.J. "What…what do you mean _now_?"

"I mean that Carlisle is going to get your release papers going and we are going to get you out of here within the next hour." Edward said slowly and as calmly as possible. He did not want to panic Bella. "And then we are going to get on our way."

"What?" Bella was panicking despite Edward's best efforts. "Edward, what is going on?"

Edward sighed. "We think the pack may be onto us. Seth came to warn us that they were moving back to the reservation at a high speed. We don't want to risk anything, so we are just going to get moving now."

Bella took a deep breath. "I…what about Jacob? What about J.J.?" She glanced down at the sleeping infant. "Is it really safe to move him?"

"Carlisle will be with us. He will make sure J.J. is fine." Edward told her. "And Jacob is going to do everything he can do to protect us as we move you."

Bella nodded; it was all she could do.

"I will send Alice in to help you pack up." Edward leaned down, kissing Bella's forehead. "It will all be okay, Bella. I promise." He pulled away, cupping her face gently in his cool hand. "I will protect you." He glanced down at J.J. "Both of you. No matter what. I promise."

Bella nodded. She was worried, but she also knew Edward would do all he could to keep his word. If she was safe with anyone, it was the Cullen's. She gave Edward a small smile to ease the worried look in his eyes.

Edward smile back before swiftly moving to the door, leaving Bella alone in her room with J.J. still asleep in her arms.

* * *

Sam, in wolf form, led Jared and Paul swiftly through the woods at a rapid speed. He had just picked up Jacob's scent, howling to signal to the others. Immediately both Paul and Jared in wolf form came up beside Sam.

_Found Jake's trail._ Paul sounded satisfied.

_It's leading through the woods._ Sam motioned his snout forward. _Toward the hospital._

_Why is he…_Jared started, and then it dawned on him. He growled in response to his own thoughts. _Bella has been here the whole time._

_The baby would be due any day now._ Sam thought.

_So Jacob has been going behind our backs all along._ Paul was livid. _He has been working with those filthy bloodsuckers the whole damn time. All for what? Some stupid girl._

_Bella has always been his weakness. I never thought she could blind him this much_. Sam sounded sad. He knew what they would have to do now.

_Jacob isn't going to step down from us._ Jared thought. _And I wonder if he has anyone else on his side. Embry or Seth…_

_I am still their alpha. I can command them to obey me_. Sam reasoned. _I can command Jacob to stop helping the Cullen's and instead attack them. I just need him in wolf form when we get near them._

_What if he won't phase?_ Jared asked.

Sam's thoughts were silent for a moment and then he spoke slowly. _Then we kill…whoever steps in our way._

Paul and Jared were both silent for a moment. Neither of them had ever wanted to kill any of their brothers, but they would do what was commanded of them, they would protect their tribe.

_We need to find them first. _Sam reasoned._ Let's move._

Paul and Jared watched Sam take off in the direction of Jacob's trail, and then followed a moment behind their alpha, ready to see where the trail would finally lead them.

* * *

Edward stepped out into the hallway to find Alice, Jasper, Emmett, Rosalie, Carlisle, Esme, Jacob, and Seth all standing around. All eyes turned to the bronze haired vampire as he quietly closed Bella's door.

"I talked to Bella." Edward said. "She needs help packing." He turned to look at Alice. "Would you mind?"

"Not at all…" Alice went to move passed Edward, but was stopped as Edward grabbed her arm.

"I told her the bare minimum…" Edward told Alice. "So please don't tell her more then she needs to know."

Alice nodded. "Not a problem." She smiled at glided into Bella's room.

Jacob's brow was furrowed his thoughts screaming in Edward's ear. _How could she be so calm at a time like this?_

Edward smiled a little bit, turning toward Jacob and answering the question in his mind. "Alice has her own way of dealing with things."

"How are we dealing with this?" Carlisle asked.

Edward turned to his father. "I need you to go get Bella's paperwork moving. We need to get her out of here as soon as possible."

"Not a problem." Carlisle nodded and was already half way down the hall by the time anyone had blinked. He stopped short though, as Embry rounded the corner.

"Embry?" Jacob turned to see his other friend.

"They figured everything out." Embry was out of breath. "Sam…the pack…the pieced it all together! They are coming for you…"

Jacob closed his eyes for a moment. His worst fears had just been confirmed.

"Carlisle…go…" Edward's voice did not come out as steardy as he had wanted it to.

Carlisle nodded and was out of the hall in a second.

"How close are they, Embry?" Edward asked.

"The pack?" Embry shrugged. "They took off…fifteen minutes ago…"

"They will be here soon." Jasper turned to Edward.

Edward nodded. "Emmett, Rosalie, can one of you go get the car and bring it around front and the other head home and gather everything we will need…mostly Bella's stuff and stuff for J.J.?"

"Sure thing." Emmett nodded, taking Rosalie by the hand as the two sprinted down the hall.

"Esme? Go help Alice and Bella please?" Edward asked of his mother.

"Of course." Esme nodded, moving into Bella's room in a flash.

"What should we do?" Seth looked to Jacob.

"Go…scout the perimeter. We need to lead them away from here." Jacob said.

"They are after your scent." Jasper stood next to Edward, his hands behind his back and his posture extremely straight. "They will follow you here, Jacob."

"I know." Jacob nodded. "That's why I gotta get out of here…I'll run…whichever way you're not going." He looked to Edward.

"We are going to head north." Edward told Jacob.

"Then we will head south." Jacob said, turning to Seth and Embry. "We just can't phase. If we do, Sam could order us to do something we don't want to. He is the alpha…"

Both Embry and Seth nodded.

"Jacob, are you sure this is what you want to do?" Edward asked the wolf.

"What?" Jacob asked.

"Just…leave? I mean your son…" Edward started. He did not want to force Jacob away from his child.

"That baby…" Jacob pointed toward Bella's room, struggling to get his own words out as tears threatened his eyes. "That child is…not my son anymore…he is yours Edward. Please…take care of him."

"You know I will." Edward said. "But Jacob…you are still his father."

Jacob nodded. "I know. And this is the only way I know how to be a good one. I need to stay as far away from J.J. as possible…to keep him safe."

Edward nodded. He could read Jacob's complicated thoughts and the only thing that was crystal clear in all of them was that Jacob wanted J.J. and Bella safe, and he knew Edward could do that.

"Jacob, we gotta go." Embry pressed.

Jacob nodded, turning to Edward one more time. "I mean it…keep them safe. Or…I'll find you."

"I will keep them safe, Jacob." Edward put his hand out, offering it to Jacob.

Jacob shook Edward's hand with a slight grin; a peace offering between the two of them. Jacob knew he had lost. Bella had always been Edward's, but at least he had gotten his moment with Bella. That was what mattered.

"Good luck." Edward told Jacob, and then looked to Seth and Embry.

"You too." Jacob nodded once more before turning with Seth and Embry and taking off down the hall and toward the stairs. The hospital floor was quiet within seconds.

* * *

Alice and Esme made their way into Bella's hospital room to find her sitting up in bed with J.J. in her arms, her eyes glued to him as if she could never look away from the baby, yet she bounced him nervously in her arms. They could both easily tell Bella was extremely worried.

"Bella, sweetie…" Esme's voice was soft and calm. "Please relax."

"Yeah…you don't need to be Jasper to feel the anxiety in this room." Alice teased, trying to lighten the mood.

Bella just glanced up at Alice, not laughing. She was too stressed out to laugh. "How can I not be anxious."

Esme was already busy packing up Bella's clothes. She was trying her best to be calm and collected for Bella's sack, though she too was a little nervous at what was going to come within the next few hours. She knew they would define everything. "Because everything is going to be fine, sweetie."

"She is right, Bella." Alice said. "We just need to get you packed and moved…" She moved toward Bella, ripping the IV out of her arm.

"Ouch!" Bella pulled her hand away, noticing it was bleeding a little. She quickly wiped it on her gown.

"Sorry…" Alice's face was full of apology.

Suddenly, the hospital door swung open and Edward, Carlisle, Jasper, Emmett, and Rosalie shuffled in.

"The papers are all signed." Carlisle announced. "We can get you out of here, Bella."

Bella just nodded, too worried to really speak.

"And everything else is in order." Edward added, turning to Emmett and Jasper. "Emmett, Jasper, why don't you two take Bella's things and bring them to the car."

"Sure." Emmett grabbed a bag from Esme and Jasper grabbed the other. The two brothers then swiftly moved out of the room.

"Bella, we are not trying to rush you." Carlisle told her. "But we do really need to get moving."

Edward could tell Bella was nervous and in a daze.

"Uh…sure…" Bella nodded. "I just…I need to get dressed."

"Rose…take J.J." Edward instructed.

Bella was a little hesitant to give her son up to Rosalie, but in the end knew someone needed to hold him if she was going to get out of bed. She slowly handed him to Rosalie and then, with Edward and Alice's help, got out of bed.

Edward knew he needed to calm Bella's nerves, so he turned to the four remaining members of his family that were still in the room. His eyes locked with Esme's and she could read her son's request instantly. She did not need to be a mind reader to know Edward needed a minute alone with Bella.

"Why don't you put J.J. down in his bed, Rosalie?" Esme motioned to the plastic tube that the hospital considered suitable for a baby to sleep in. "And we can give Bella and Edward a minute to get ready."

"Okay… " Rosalie said softly, her eyes never leaving J.J. as she set him down. She had always dreamed of having a child and she knew this was the closest she would ever get.

"Edward, time is of the essence." Carlisle reminded his son.

"We will be right down." Edward assured his father.

Carlisle nodded and then shuffled everyone else out of the room, leaving Bella, Edward, and J.J. alone.

"How are you feeling?" Edward asked as he watched Bella slowly move to put her sweatpants on.

"Ugh…swore." Bella admitted.

"You did just have a baby…" Edward reminded her, trying to ease her tension.

"Yeah…" Bella glanced back at J.J. in his crib. She couldn't help but smile; her son was perfect.

Edward moved to help Bella put her blue t-shirt on. She welcomed the help, her body still aching from child birth.

"You know, everything is going to be fine, love." Edward kissed her forehead softly. "Once we get out of here…" He glanced toward J.J. and then back at Bella. "I will always keep you two safe."

"I know…" Bella nodded, burying her face in Edward's stone like neck. " I know that…"

"Then you don't have to worry." Edward cupped her cheek in his hand. "Alright?"

Bella nodded, her eyes closed. "I…I need to know though…is Jacob…" She couldn't get the words out. She couldn't ask if Jacob had really left his son for good. She loved Edward more than her own life, but Bella would always worry about Jacob.

"Jacob left." Edward told her. "Just a few minutes ago…Seth and Embry showed up."

"Oh…" Bella nodded, glancing over at J.J. in his crib, and realizing he would never meet his father.

Edward followed Bella's glance to her son and immediately felt pain, because he knew Bella was in pain. "Bella…Jacob did what he thought was right…"

"I know." Bella nodded, trying to wipe up any tear that may have betrayed her eye.

"He loves J.J. I could see it in his mind." Edward continued. "And he is doing what he can to protect his son."

"I know." Bella nodded, feeling the tears rising. A few more fell down her cheek.

Edward's heart broke for Bella and he moved forward, gathering her in his arms and planting gently kisses on her forehead. He never thought he would be comforting Bella for the loss of Jacob in her life, but he couldn't help it. Somewhere, along the way, what the wolf was doing had forced Edward to respect him. Jacob had been noble, and backed down without a fight when he saw it was hurting Bella, and he had entrusted Edward with his only son, to protect for him, so that he could continue to fight for Bella and J.J.

"Jacob is a good man, Bella." Edward whispered.

Bella nodded, the words making her smile a little. She never thought she would hear Edward say that as long as she lived. She pulled away from him, moving so she could kiss Edward on the lips.

"And so are you…" Bella whispered against Edward's lips. "Thank you…for staying with me…for loving me, despite all of this…"

"Forever, Bella." Edward leaned against her forehead. "You know that."

Bella smiled at Edward's words. She did know that, and it meant more to her then anything.

Edward smiled back and then pulled away from Bella. "We should get going. I can hear Emmett downstairs…he is getting fidgety."

"We probably don't have much time, anyway." Bella moved slowly, gathering J.J. up in her arms, careful to support his head as Edward helped her slip a small baby jacket that Alice had left out on the infant.

Once J.J. was secure, Edward wrapped an arm protectively around both Bella and her newborn son, leading them both carefully out of the hospital and to his waiting Volvo, which Rosalie had pulled up to the hospital door, and placed a baby seat in. He remembered he would have to thank his sister the first chance he got.


	30. We Can't Go to South Carolina

Disclaimer: All characters and things associated with The Twilight Saga belong to Stephanie Meyers. This writing is for pure entertainment only.

Summary: Set during New Moon. After Edward leaves, Bella is miserable and Jacob is there for her until things go too far between them, leaving Bella in an unexpected condition. When Edward returns how will Bella explain her situation to him? B/E B/J pairings

**Chapter 30**

Bella was asleep, she had been for most of the ride, and Edward was glad to see that she was calm enough to sleep. Either what, or she was exhausted. He knew that was also a strong possibility, as she had only given birth twenty-four hours earlier.

J.J., on the other hand, did not take after his mother and had been awake for an hour now, although silent, as if the infant knew his mother needed sleep.

"How you doing back there, J.J.?" Edward asked the quiet baby as he glanced at the baby in his rearview mirror.

As if the child could understand the vampire, he gurgled.

Edward smiled at the baby, and then jerked his eyes back to the road, quick enough to move around the car in front of him came to a dead stop.

The jolt had scared J.J. and the infant began to cry, causing Bella to jump up from her sleep.

"Um…wh…what the…" Bella was in a daze as she took in her surroundings. However, after another one of J.J.'s screams Bella snapped into mother-mode and was turned around in the seat, soothing her infant. "Shh…J.J., you are okay…"

After a few moments, J.J. settled down, his eyes closing.

Bella turned back in her seat, glancing out her window as Edward continued to speed down the road. "Where are we?"

"Idaho." Edward replied, his eyes never leaving the road. He did not want to accidently startle J.J. again.

"Idaho?" Bella was surprised. "I must have been sleeping for awhile."

Edward smiled. "You were."

"Well…it's been an eventful two days." Bella told him, trying her best to stretch out. She was swore, but she was sure it was from giving birth.

"J.J. doesn't seem as warn out." Edward teased.

Bella turned around again to see her son was now staring back at her, his eyes wide opened. He looked exactly like Jacob, very calm.

"How long has he been awake?" Bella asked, motioning to J.J.

"At least an hour." Edward told her. "He has been good…hasn't made a noise until a few minutes ago. He seems like a happy baby."

"Like his father…" Bella sighed; her heart was heavy. She missed Jacob, and she felt terrible for her son, who would never meet his real father.

Edward just nodded, remaining silent.

Bella looked at the clock in the car and realized it was well past J.J.'s feeding time. "I need to feed him soon…"

Edward nodded. "We can pull over. I am sure you need to stretch."

Bella nodded. "That would be great."

Edward did what he promised. At the next rest stop, he pulled the Volvo over and Emmett's jeep and Carlisle's car followed. Edward was grateful the rest stop what deserted so that he and his family could get out of the cars without anyone noticing they were sparkling. He turned the car off.

"I am going to run to the bathroom and then feed him." Bella motioned to J.J.

"Sure." Edward nodded and watched Bella take off to the restrooms as he got out of the car. In a flash, he was around the car and gently lifting J.J. out of his car seat. He held the infant close to his chest, and the baby seemed to smile at him. Edward already loved the newborn as if he were his own son, despite the fact that he was a miniature version of Jacob.

"How has the ride been?" Carlisle approached his son with Jasper and Esme at his side. Rosalie, Emmett, and Alice had all stayed in the car since vampires did not exactly need to stretch.

"Its been okay…" Edward glanced down at J.J. "Hasn't it buddy."

J.J. seemed to blink in response to Edward's question.

Esme watched Edward with J.J. in complete awe. She was so proud of her son for putting his love for Bella over the issue of J.J. being a werewolf's son, and she could see it in Edward's eyes, he loved J.J.

"I do love him." Edward glanced up at Esme; he had read her thoughts.

Esme nodded. "Its not hard to tell."

Just then, Bella came out of the bathroom, and approached Edward. Her heart filled with joy as she watched Edward with her son. J.J.'s dark skin looked silly against Edward's pale skin, and yet the two looked like they oddly fit together.

"Here." Bella gathered J.J. in her arms. "Let me feed him."

"Okay." Edward kissed Bella's forehead. "We will leave when you are done."

Bella nodded and moved to sit in Edward's car. She did not want to breastfeed in front of the entire Cullen family, but especially not in front of Emmett. She knew he would tease her about it forever.

"So, what's the plan?" Carlisle asked Edward.

"Not sure." Edward shrugged. "I thought I'd have more time to figure this all out…"

"Well, it seems like either our Vermont home, or the South Carolina one would be the best options." Carlisle said. "They are both extremely far from here."

Edward nodded. He didn't care where they went, as long as Bella and J.J. were safe.

"And, it seems to make the most sense to go to South Carolina." Jasper added. "The wolves would never expect us to go somewhere so warm and sunny."

"That's true." Edward liked the sound of that. "I'll talk to Bella about it."

"You just drive us wherever we need to go. We will follow." Carlisle assured him.

Edward nodded and then moved back to the Volvo. Bella was just getting out of the car to put J.J. back in his seat, and Edward moved to help her. She welcomed the help and smiled as she watched Edward gently buckle J.J. up before climbing in the drivers seat. She was in shocked; Edward seemed like a natural with the father thing.

* * *

Jacob, Embry, and Seth were running through the woods near Canada. They were still in their human forms but they could hear Sam, Jared, and Paul gaining ground on them in their wolf form.

"We are never going to be able to stay ahead of them…" Seth commented. It was not that he was tired, and he knew Jacob and Embry weren't tired either, it was just the simple fact that four legs worked faster then two. There would be no way for them to outrun the rest of the pack.

"I know…" Jacob agreed.

"Well, do we have a plan?" Embry asked. "Or are we just going to go at them like this…because I gotta tell you, I don't think we stand much of a chance in our human form.

"I know that too…" Jacob commented, trying to come up with a plan.

"Well, what are we going to do then?" Embry asked again.

"We have to phase." Seth said, glancing at Jacob. "It's the only way we stand a chance…"

"Yeah…" Jacob nodded again. He didn't want to admit it, but he knew what Seth said was true. They had no choice, not if they were going to make it out alive. They had to phase eventually.

"Sam will give us orders the second we phase." Embry commented.

"Yes, he will…" Jacob agreed yet again. "So it's a good thing I have no idea where Edward took Bella and J.J. If he gives me orders there isn't much I can do. I have no information."

"Is that why you didn't ask Edward where the Cullen's were going?" Seth asked.

Jacob nodded. It broke his heart to have no idea where his son was, but it was for the greater safety of all involved. If he had no clue where they were, he could not lead Sam or the pack to them. Bella and J.J. would be safe with the Cullen's then.

* * *

Bella sat in the car trying to fix her bra from feeding J.J. Edward watched her silently until she stopped fidgeting with the strap and the slowly took her hand in his, giving it a gently squeeze.

"How are you feeling?" Edward asked.

"Still a little sore…like I said early." Bella told him. "Getting used to this mom thing…" She glanced down at her breast; they did look bigger.

"You are doing great so far." Edward smiled at her, his famous grin, and it made her smile. "I did want to talk to you about where we are going…"

"Sure." Bella nodded. "I mean, its not like its my choice…"

"Well, we have options." Edward said. "We could go to Vermont or South Carolina. I was thinking South Carolina would be great. It would be warm, and sunny, and J.J. could play outside. Plus, it wouldn't be far from Florida. You could see your mom…maybe Charlie won't want to kill me for stealing you away from him then…" Edward laughed a little.

"I..won't be able to see my mom." Bella told him. "And Charlie can't know where we are…ever. I don't want him involved in this. Its not safe for him."

"Fair enough…" Edward nodded in agreement.

"And anyway, South Carolina is a terrible idea." Bella continued, looking at her hand intertwined with Edward's. "We won't be able to go out in the sun…"

"Well we won't…but it does rain even there sometimes." Edward told her, not understanding Bella's double meaning in her words. "And you and J.J. will have more time in the sun…where you belong."

"I wont be able to go out in the sun either…." Bella told him.

Suddenly, Edward's eyebrow furrowed together. He thought that they were well beyond Bella's desire to become a vampire. Especially now that she had a reason to live, J.J. "Bella…what are you saying?"

"You have to change me, Edward." Bella told him. "It's the only way to protect J.J."

Edward shook his head, pulling his hand away from Bella's and placing them both tightly on the steering wheel so that he could grab something tightly, without wounding Bella. "We can protect J.J."

"He is my son, Edward." Bella told him. "He is my responsibility."

"And you are mine." Edward told her quickly, glancing back and forth between J.J. in his car seat and Bella. "Both of you."

"No we aren't." Bella told him. "I mean…J.J. is my…responsibility. You don't owe me anything…"

"Bella…you are my life." Edward told her, his voice calmer. "And that means J.J. is too." He shook his head. "I promised Jacob I would take care of you both…"

"Edward…the only way to keep us both safe it to let me help." Bella told him. "You have to…change me…"

"And what about J.J.?" Edward tried a different approach. "What do you think it will be like for him to grow old with a mother who forever looks the same? Or looks younger then him someday?"

"You…said you smelt him…he is half wolf." Bella looked back at her infant son in the seat behind him. He looked so much like his father, so much like a wolf. "He will phase…he won't have to age if he doesn't want to."

"You don't know he will phase." Edward told her.

"Yes, I do." Bella nodded. "Jacob said being around vampires makes them change…he will always be around vampires if he is around us."

"Bella…" Edward sighed. He couldn't give her a good reason not to change her, because he knew she would only be of use as a vampire, and then he could selfishly keep her for himself forever. He wanted that more then anything, but he would not take her life. "I can't…I won't change you." His hands were shaking as he spoke.

"Fine." Bella sat back in her seat her arms folded. "I'll ask someone else to do it."

Edward shook his head, but kept his eyes glued to the road ahead. He knew someone in his family would eventually cave to Bella's desire because she would be relentless. She would eventually convince Carlisle or Alice to change her, he knew that. If she wanted something, she would eventually get it.

* * *

Jacob stopped running, causing both Seth and Embry to stop, both looking back at Jacob with confusion on their face. The pack was still a few minutes behind them, they could still keep running and be ahead of the wolves.

"Jake, what are you doing?" Seth asked.

"We have to stop." Jacob said slowly, his fists clenching into balls. "We have to stop and fight."

"Jacob…" Embry warned.

"I can't keep running." Jacob told them. "I can't let Sam rule me anymore…I have to fight. You guys…keep running, I can hold them off a little while longer."

"We aren't going to leave you here." Embry told his friend.

"This isn't your fight." Jacob told them.

"It's always been our fight, Jake." Seth spoke up, his stance defiant. "We are not going anywhere."

Jacob nodded, he could hear the pack now. They were very close. They would be there any minute. He stood in front of Embry and Seth and soon enough three large wolves, Sam, Paul, and Jared appeared through the forest.

Sam growled at Jacob, his massive black head shaking in furry.

"We need to phase." Embry whispered, eyeing Paul as the grey wolf moved slowly.

Jacob nodded; he knew they had to phase, but he also knew the second they did, they would be under Sam's will. It didn't matter though. He could give Sam not information. He sighed, slipping his shorts off and phasing, knowing Seth and Embry quickly followed.

Jacob growled at Sam.

_Jacob. You will stop this and listen to me!_ Sam's alpha command read in Jacob's head.

Jacob bowed. He wanted to fight Sam but he couldn't.

_As will you two... _Sam's wolf form glared at Seth and Embry.

Seth and Embry also seemed to bow to Sam. They were useless against his alpha orders.

_I am willing to let your lying and conniving slide for right now_. Sam thought to Jacob._ But you will help us find Bella and the Cullen's…I understand why you would lie. You thought you were protecting your child, Jacob. But the child is dangerous…_

_He's not dangerous. He is an infant. _Jacob growled back.

_And he will grow, raised by leeches…one of our own against us. _Paul thought.

_Think of the danger it poses to the tribe. _Sam thought.

_He will be no danger. Bella will keep him away…the Cullen's will not raise him to hate us. _Jacob said, believing his own words. He truly had different feelings toward the Cullen's now. He trusted them, with his life, with his son.

_Jacob…you will take us to them_. Sam commanded.

_Sam, please…its just a little baby…_Seth tried.

_Shut up, Seth…_Jared growled.

_I know you do not understand now, but someday you will…_Sam thought. _I am trying to keep our tribe save. Now, Jacob, where are they?_

_I don't know_. Jacob told him. _No idea. They didn't tell me._

_You know which way they took off in though._ Sam told Jacob.

Jacob nodded; he would give more information then he wanted to. Sam commanded it of him, but he also knew the information would be useless. _I can take you back there…it wont be much help. I have no idea where they went. They wouldn't tell me._

_You never asked._ Sam could read Jacob's thoughts. _You think by keeping you in the dark you will be able to keep us there as well. _He moved up to Jacob, his wolf form only slightly bigger then Jacob's. _But we will find them. We are good trackers._

_Good thing it rains a lot in Forks then. _Jacob said, tension in his voice. He knew, even the slightest rain would erase the Cullen's trail, and the pack would never find them.

That was enough for Sam. He knew Jacob would listen to him; the younger wolf had no choice, but Sam was fed up with all the problems Jacob had caused in the passed few months in the pack. He growled, biting Jacob hard on the neck, but careful not to draw blood. He needed for Jacob to understand his place in the pack.

Jacob remained silent as Sam's teeth grazed his neck. He would not cry out in pain, although it felt like being stabbed by rows of jagged knives. He would not let Sam know he was capable of causing him any more pain.

* * *

Edward was still driving in silence. He had been ever since Bella had told him her plan of being turned. He hated the idea. He did not want Bella condemned to a life of a monster; a life like him. He wanted her to be able to walk in the sunlight, and have more children like J.J. He wanted her for himself, but more then that, he wanted her for himself with the ability to have a life, to walk away from him if she chose to.

Edward glanced over to see that Bella was curled up in the seat next to him, glancing out the window and trying her best to ignore him. He smiled at the image of her alive, breathing with a steady heartbeat.

As if on cue, to destroy the beautiful image of Bella in his mind, Alice's thoughts were brought to the forefront of Edward's mind. He knew she was doing it on purpose, for him to hear the vision she had just had.

He glanced back in his rearview mirror to see Alice starring nervously at him from the passenger seat of Carlisle's car. She continued to yell her vision, but he knew by the look in her eyes, that she was worried how he would take it.

Alice had seen what appeared to be Bella's future. She couldn't explain how she saw it; she had never been able to see past any werewolf, and yet, in her vision a vampire Bella ran gracefully through the forest, her sun sparkling at the rays of light that were shining through the trees. Suddenly, Edward appeared next to her, and she smiled at him, and then on her other side, a large brown wolf with red markings on his face appeared. Bella too, turned and smiled at the wolf. Edward knew in that instant, from the look in Bella's golden eyes, that the wolf next to her was J.J.

Alice's vision only seemed to confirm what Edward had known from his earlier conversation with Bella. Bella would get her way, someone would change her into a vampire and J.J. would eventually phase.

Edward sighed in frustration, his eyebrows creasing together.

The sigh caught Bella's attention and she turned to the vampire. "What?"

"Nothing." Edward shook his head. He did not want to tell her about the vision, not right now. "Just…Emmett…he is messing with my head."

Bella glanced in her side mirror to see Emmett now racing Carlisle on the open highway and laughed a little to herself, but when she turned back to see the worried look on Edward's face had not changed, she did not exactly buy his excuse, but she didn't have time to push it because J.J. started gurgling.

Bella turned in her seat to see the infant almost smiling at his mother. He looked so much like Jacob it made her almost want to cry. She missed Jacob dearly and was grateful for all he had done for her.

* * *

Jacob led, without a choice, Sam, Jared, Paul, Embry, and Seth toward the hospital in Forks. All six of them were in wolf form, and Jacob was certain that if anyone saw them they would have been shot on the spot running so close to the regular city limits.

When they reached the woods outside of the hospital, Jacob slowed down, his heart feeling like it dropped into his stomach. He couldn't believe his luck; he couldn't believe Bella's luck. In all their running, it had never rained in Forks; not silence Edward and Bella had left. Bella's trail, mixed with the Cullen's and J.J.'s scent was still fresh.

_That way_. Sam growled in the direction that the Cullen's car took off in.

Jacob fell behind Sam in the pack, unable to believe that they were fresh on Bella's trail. He hoped, as they ran, it rained somewhere between where they pack was and where Bella, Edward, and J.J. were. That way, the trail they were on would be lost, and Bella and J.J. would be safe.


	31. Bella's Path is Set

Disclaimer: All characters and things associated with The Twilight Saga belong to Stephanie Meyers. This writing is for pure entertainment only.

Summary: Set during New Moon. After Edward leaves, Bella is miserable and Jacob is there for her until things go too far between them, leaving Bella in an unexpected condition. When Edward returns how will Bella explain her situation to him? B/E B/J pairings

**Chapter 31**

Edward pulled the Volvo off the highway and into a nice hotel. It was late, and they had been driving for quite a while. He thought it would be best to let Bella sleep in a real bed. When he parked the car he gently shook Bella awake.

Bella stretched out, slowly opening her eyes in the passenger seat. She looked around, still groggy. "Where are we?"

"Sioux Falls, South Dakota." Edward responded simply. He had not talked much to her since they fought a little over her changing into a vampire.

"Why?" Bella was confused.

"I thought it would be best if you slept in a bed." Edward told her. "Let J.J. get out of the car."

Bella nodded. "Thanks."

Edward nodded, smiling. He then got out of the car and in a flash, was gently pulling J.J. out of his carseat.

Bella too, got out of the car, stretching. "Is he awake?"

Edward nodded, lovingly watching J.J., whose little brown eyes were glued to his face.

"He is probably hungry." Bella said.

"He is." Edward nodded. "He also wants you to hold him."

"Oh yeah? You got all that from a look?" Bella asked, as Edward gently placed J.J. in her arms.

"No. I can hear him." Edward motioned to his head. "Remember? I can read minds?"

Bella was in awe, starring down at J.J. "You can hear him?"

Edward nodded. "He wants you to hold him a little closer. His cheek is cold."

Bella immediately pulled J.J. closer to her chest, cupping his small cheek in her hand. "Sorry, baby."

Just then, Carlisle and the rest of the Cullen's walked out of the hotel.

"We got two rooms." Emmett chucked Edward a set of keys. "Third floor."

"Thanks." Edward smiled at his big brother, before grabbing one of Bella's small bags and J.J.'s diaper bag and helping Bella into the hotel, and up to their room.

"This place is beautiful." Bella looked around the large hotel room in awe as Edward closed the door behind them.

Edward shrugged, putting Bella's bag on the bed. "Who knew South Dakota had such places."

Bella smiled at Edward and then sat on the bed, proceeding to feed J.J.

Edward watched Bella breastfeed in awe. He had never really seen a women do that and he was amazed at how beautiful it was.

When Bella was finished, she fixed her bra and burped J.J., yawning as she did so.

"Do you want me to hold him while you sleep?" Edward offered. "We don't really have a crib or anything for him."

"Do you mind?" Bella asked.

"No. Of course not." Edward told her quickly.

"Thanks." Bella smiled warmly at Edward, handing J.J. gently to him, before kissing J.J.'s head and then kissing Edward on the lips. "Love you."

"Love you." Edward whispered back as he watched Bella climb into the bed, exhausted. He then settled into the one chair in the room, rocking J.J. gently to sleep.

After a few minutes, the door to the hotel room opened quietly and Alice, Rosalie, and Esme slipped in, speaking so quietly that no one but Edward heard them.

"We just wanted to check in on you." Esme told her son.

"Would you mind staying with Bella and J.J.?" Edward asked Esme. He wanted to talk to Carlisle.

"Not at all." Esme smiled gently at her son.

"I'll stay too…" Rosalie offered quickly.

Edward could tell from Rosalie's thoughts that she just wanted to hold J.J., to feel what it felt like to hold a baby.

Edward nodded, gently hanging J.J. to Rosalie. The baby was asleep and did not even twitch a muscle as he was moved from Edward's arms to Rosalie's.

"Thanks." Edward whispered and then he and Alice walked out of the room, leaving Rosalie to sit in the chair Edward had occupied, smiling down at J.J., and Esme to stand behind Rosalie, keeping one eye on Bella and one eye on J.J.

Esme was proud of Bella for all she had done, but she was also proud of Edward for stepping up in such a way. She could see it in his eyes; he loved Bella and now he loved J.J. Her son would do whatever it would take to keep both the girl in the bed and the infant in Rosalie's arms safe.

* * *

Edward and Alice walked silently down the hallway, but they didn't need to talk; they had always been able to read each other. Alice was thinking about the fact that she knew Edward was upset with the vision she had early and Edward couldn't help but smile; she was right.

The two moved into the other hotel room and Carlisle, Jasper, and Carlisle were all sitting around, watching television.

"Is Bella asleep?" Carlisle looked up at Edward and Alice.

Edward nodded. "Rosalie and Esme are staying with her and J.J. for now…I wanted to discuss some things with you."

"Certainly." Carlisle clicked the television off and all eyes were on Edward.

"I…talked to Bella about where she wants to go." Edward said.

"So where we headed?" Emmett asked. He was curious; he was always up for a challenge.

"Well…I tried to push South Carolina, but she didn't want to hear about it." Edward sighed.

"Doesn't she know that will be safer?" Jasper asked, slightly confused. "The wolves would never suspect us going somewhere like that."

Edward sighed, pinching her nose. "It doesn't exactly fit in her plan…"

"Her plan?" Emmett raised an eyebrow. "Since when did Bella get a plan?"

"It's the same one she has been asking about for two years now." Edward sighed.

"She wants to be changed." Alice deducted. It was easy to conclude, after she had her vision of Bella's future. Bella had made a decision; she would be a vampire.

Edward nodded. "She thinks the only way to protect J.J. is to be a vampire."

"Yeah, but we can protect her." Emmett said, almost sounding offended.

"Plus having a newborn running around will be more of a hassle against the wolves." Jasper added.

Alice glared at Jasper. "You don't know Bella will be a crazy killer."

"Most newborns are." Jasper answered.

"Regardless…she would hardly be a threat. Even a newborn doesn't want a bite of a werewolf baby." Alice said quickly.

"She still doesn't need to change." Edward told Alice. He concluded that, if Bella was going to be changed and it wasn't going to be by him that Alice would and he knew he wasn't in any frame of mind to change Bella; but Bella would get her way, so Alice would probably be the one to do it.

Carlisle sighed. "Sadly, I can see her train of thought…as a human she doesn't feel like she can protect her offspring. A mother will do anything for a child."

"Maybe we can talk her out of it." Jasper said.

"It seems her mind is made up…" Edward glanced at Alice. "Because the path she is on right now…she will be a vampire."

"What?" Jasper was confused.

"I…had a vision…of a vampire Bella…" Alice explained.

Carlisle sighed. "Then her path is set."

"For now." Edward said quickly. "She can still change her mind…"

"I don't think she will…" Alice said. "You know she will just fight against us the more we try to push her the other way. If this is the path Bella has chosen…she is gonna get her way…"

"Well, maybe we should go to Vermont then…" Emmett added.

Edward was frustrated by the conversation that was going on. He had expected a little more support in his view, and it seemed like Jasper was the only one who agreed that Bella shouldn't be turned. Everyone else was so willing to give Bella her way. He sighed, wiping a hand over his face in annoyance.

* * *

Sam led Jacob, Jared, Paul, Seth, and Embry down a long trail in the deep woods of Iowa. Jacob, although he wanted to do nothing more then run from Sam, could not ignore the pull of the Alpha, and therefore, was forced to continue to help the pack stay on the still fresh trail of the Cullen's, Bella, and J.J. He continued to hope it would rain.

Finally, Sam slowed the pace of the pack. _It's getting dark. How is everyone feeling?_

_I could use a break. _Paul responded.

_Yeah…_Jacob thoughts mumbled. He had never been tired before in his wolf form, but now he was exhausted.

_Alright. We will set up camp then…_Sam said, transforming back into his human form, and throwing on a pair of cut off jeans.

The rest of the pack followed, and soon they were all back on two legs, staring at each other.

"Lets just…take rest…" Sam motioned to the dirt floor of the earth. "We can get moving again in the morning."

The pack all seemed to nod, clear that there was tension in the air now; especially that Sam, Jared, and Paul had to look Jacob in the eye, knowing they were destroying his life.

Everyone settled down and soon enough, Paul, Jared, Seth, and Sam were snoring. Jacob, on the other hand, could not sleep at all, his thoughts on Bella and J.J. and how he hoped it was pouring wherever they were; anything to get the pack off their trail.

"Jake…" Embry spoke softly, his voice barely above a whisper. He was the closet to Jacob, and did not want to wake anyone else up.

"Yeah…" Jacob responded.

"You should go…" Embry said. "Sam can't control you if he is asleep…"

"He told me we were going to track Bella…I still have to follow that command." Jacob sighed.

"So follow it." Embry said; he had already figured out a loophole. "Sam didn't order that you had to lead us at all times; he just said you had to track Bella…"

Jacob's brow creased. Embry was making sense, but Jacob knew if he took off he would risk Embry and Seth's safety. "But…what about you and Seth?"

"We will be fine." Embry assured him. "You need to protect Bella…and…uh…"

"J.J." Jacob said. "My son's name is J.J."

"Well..J.J. needs you to protect him too…" Embry said.

Jacob nodded, standing very quietly. "Thank you, Embry."

Embry just smiled at Jacob. He knew Jacob could not see his face in the dark but he did not care; the smile eased his own nerves.

Jacob then took off, sprinting as hard and as fast as he could. He felt the brush of wind on his face, and just continued to run, hearing only the echo of his two feet; until he heard something else.

Quickly, on Jacob's left, he could hear four paws, moving at lightening speed toward him. He could hear the huffing and grunting of a wolf, and he knew no matter how fast he moved in his human form, one of his wolf brother's could take him down.

Jacob barely had time to look, when suddenly he saw Sam, in his wolf form, lung from the trees to his left. He felt Sam's wolf-body collide hard with his human one, and then Jacob felt Sam's powerful jaw sink into his neck, rose of razor sharp teeth tearing at his skin. Jacob barely hard time to scream.

* * *

Bella woke up to find herself in a big, comfy hotel bed. One her eyes adjusted, she noticed she was not alone, but in fact Rosalie and Esme were both in the room with her. Rosalie sat in the chair Edward had previously occupied with J.J. in her arms, and Esme stood behind her blonde daughter, like a statue.

"You're awake." Esme smiled gently at Bella.

Bella nodded, sitting up. "Have I been asleep long?"

"Not really." Esme told her.

Rosalie stood, making her way toward Bella and gently handing her J.J. "He is all changed…but I would imagine he is hungry."

Bella looked over at the clock next to the bed. J.J. probably was hungry, though he was not fussing. He was patient, just like his father; Jacob had always given Bella all the time in the world. "I am sure he is…"

Bella gently took J.J. in her arms, smiling down at her son. "Hey, baby…"

J.J. just gurgled at his mother.

Bella smiled, gently moving J.J. to her breast.

"Do you…want to be alone?" Rosalie asked, not sure if it was okay if they watched Bella feed J.J.

"Don't be silly…" Bella told her.

Rosalie just smiled; grateful for the chance to be so close to a newborn. She knew it was the only chance she would probably ever have. "You are really good with him, Bella…"

"Just kind of comes naturally…" Bella admitted. She had never really seen herself as a good mother, or a mother at all, but with J.J. it felt normal; like it was something she had to do. "I mean…it's a little crazy now, but once we get settled…"

"It will only get easier." Esme assured Bella.

Bella nodded, shifting J.J.'s weight carefully in her arms so she would not disturb his feeding. "Once we get to Vermont."

"Is that where we are going?" Esme asked. She had not heard the definite plan yet.

Bella nodded again. "It will be safer for everyone…"

"The wolves might suspect somewhere north though…" Rosalie said.

"Doesn't matter…" Bella said, her eyes on J.J. now. "They will continue to track us…and we will be a liability…until J.J. is older…"

"We will keep everyone safe, Bella." Esme said. "Edward would never let you get hurt."

"Edward won't do a lot of things…" Bella mumbled, and then glanced up at Esme. "But something's need to happen."

"What are you talking about, sweetie?" Esme asked.

"I…I need someone to change me." Bella said, looking back down at J.J. as she spoke. "If I stay like this, I am just a liability…useless. I need to be able to protect J.J."

"Bella, we can keep you both safe…" Rosalie started.

Bella shook her head, cutting Rosalie off. "I need to be able to protect my own son, Rosalie. I can't…leave that responsibility completely up to other people." She glanced up at Esme. "Because he is _my _son."

Esme nodded; she of all people understood what Bella meant by that. Bella wanted to, needed to, protect her child. It was a mother's intuition, to keep their children safe at all costs. Bella was just responding to the nature of being a mother, to protect and care for her child.

As if on cue, Edward came busting through the door, a distraught look on his face. He had read Esme's thoughts from the hallway, and heard the conversation going on in the room, and he was less then pleased, but he was also very worried.

"Edward…" Bella smiled at the vampire.

Edward gave Bella a strained smile back; as if he were in pain. He then turned his attention toward his mother. "Esme, can I speak with you?"

Esme nodded, unsure why Edward needed to talk to her, but doing as he requested, none the less, and followed him out into the hallway of the hotel.

* * *

Jacob slowly woke up, his eyes heavy to move. When he did finally manage to open them, he noticed the sharp pain in his neck. He tried to move, but strong arms were holding him down. He focused his eyes to see Embry holding him down and Seth rubbing his neck with something cold; a rag.

"Stay still, Jake." Embry told him, holding Jacob's head in place in spit of Jacob's efforts to move it.

"What happened?" Jacob growled.

Seth removed the cold rag from Jacob's neck and Jacob noticed it was drenched in blood.

"You don't remember?" Embry asked, releasing Jacob's head from his grasp.

"No…" Jacob couldn't remember what had happened.

"Sam bit you…" Seth told him. "In the neck…"

Jacob closed his eyes, suddenly remembering exactly what had happened. "Damn…"

"It's healing already though." Seth told him. "I tried my best to clean it…"

"Thanks…" Jacob slowly sat up, rubbing the back of his neck to feel a chunk of it missing. He glanced around, noticing Paul was sitting very silently, watching Jacob. Jacob glared back at him.

"What? Are you the babysitter?" Jacob growled.

"Sam and Jared went to hunt." Paul told him, although his voice not angry. The look on his face looked pained, as he stared at Jacob's neck, as if he were in shock.

"I can't believe he did this to me." Jacob felt his neck again, turning toward Embry and Seth and ignoring Paul.

"Sam was pissed." Embry told him. "But yeah…that was harsh."

Jacob just shook his head, glancing back at Paul. Paul was now looking at Jacob's neck wound as if he were going to be sick; as if he were shocked that Jacob had been so brutally attacked.

* * *

Edward and Esme stepped out into the hallway, and Edward quickly closed the door behind them so that Bella would not hear their conversation.

"I read your thoughts, Esme…" Edward said quietly. "I know Bella told you she wants to be changed."

"And she will be, Edward." Esme told her son.

"Esme…please…" Edward begged his mother. "She can't be…what we are."

"She wants to protect her child, Edward. I understand that…I would want to protect you with all I could." Esme gently cupped Edward's cheek. "Because you are _my_ child. You have to understand a mother's bond to understand why she wants this."

"There is no reason to end her life." Edward sighed.

"She wants to protected J.J." Esme said.

"I can protect J.J." Edward said.

"Edward…honey…she wants this, and she needs it to know he is safe. That baby is going to be the most important thing in her life now…" Esme said. "You don't want her to give her life for him because of the one time you don't get to them in time, do you?"

"I will always protect her." Edward said.

"That's not a guarantee, Edward. There is always a chance, and trust me, if that day ever comes where you can't protect them, Bella will do all she can to protect her son…and she will lose her life." Esme said.

Edward closed his eyes, taking in all Esme had said, and knowing it was true. He still couldn't do that to Bella though; he had tried so hard to keep her human.

"Edward, if you don't do it…I will." Esme said after a minute. She hated threatening Edward, but she understood where Bella was coming from, and if they only way to guarantee Bella and J.J.'s safety was to change Bella then Esme would do it herself. She understood the bond between a mother and her child.

Edward nodded after a minute of reading Esme's thoughts. He knew she would say that. Finally he sighed. "Okay…I will change her. I just…need some time. Just a little time."

Esme nodded. That seemed acceptable to her; she understood how important it was to Edward to keep Bella human, and she couldn't see how a few more weeks would harm anyone, but if it went on any longer then that she would step in; she had to, for Bella.

* * *

Sam and Jared slowly made their way back to the clearing that they had left the rest of the pack in. They found Jacob sitting up with Seth next to him and Embry standing over him, his shoulder's crossed. Paul was on a stump a few feet away, his eyes seemingly blank.

"Good to see you are doing better." Sam said to Jacob.

"Ha…yeah…" Jacob said sarcastically, slowly staggering to his feet.

Sam moved forward, putting a hand on Jacob's wounded shoulder and neck. "I am sorry it came to this, Jake. Hopefully, when this is all behind us, you will see I was only doing it for your own good."

Jacob just clenched his jaw, glancing away from Sam. He wanted nothing more to return the favor to Sam and dig into his neck with his own jaw.

"Everyone phase." Sam ordered.

All complied, and soon six wolves were standing in the clearing. Jacob's wound was still visible, and a chunk on his neck seemed to be missing.

_From now on no one runs off…_Sam's alpha thoughts commanded. _We track, and we destroy when we find the Cullen's._

Jacob shuttered at the command, but knew there was little he could do to argue. Sam was the alpha, and he would follow orders no matter what. He had no choice. He sighed as he watched Sam moving off ahead and began to pick up his own pace, Seth and Embry at his sides. Jacob did notice that Paul was no longer in the front, next to Sam, but now behind Sam, between Jacob and the alpha. Jacob thought that to be odd, Paul used to be Sam's right hand, now Jared seemed to take the role.

* * *

Edward moved slowly back into Bella's room, trying to take in the conversation he had just had with Esme. She had left him with little options. Either he changed Bella or she would. He sighed and glanced up, closing the door behind him, to find Bella sitting up in bed, holding J.J. and Rosalie next to her, seemingly engrossed in the baby. Edward found that odd, knowing that a few months ago Rosalie had despised Bella. He was sure it had to do with J.J. but understood why his sister would find the baby so irresistible; Rosalie had always wanted to be a mother.

Bella looked up, a small smile on her face. "Hey."

"Hey." Edward smiled back, and then focused on Rosalie. "Rosalie, would you mind going to tell Carlisle to get the cars ready. We should be getting back on the road soon."

Rosalie nodded, seeing Edward wanted some time with Bella. "Sure." She quickly moved past her brother, and out the door, leaving Edward and Bella alone in the room with J.J.

Edward moved, taking a seat next to Bella on the bed. "Do you need me to pack anything?"

Bella looked around, everything seemed to still be in its bags except J.J.'s diaper bag. "Just the babies stuff."

Edward nodded, noticing the diaper bag; he stood to get it, quickly packing it.

J.J. gurgled as his small brown eyes followed Edward around the room.

Edward turned, smiling at the infant. "You don't mind me picking up your stuff, J.J.?"

"Is he thinking that?" Bella asked, still unable to believe Edward could read her son's thoughts. She was kind of jealous.

"No." Edward smiled, taking a seat on the bed again, closer to Bella now. "He is thinking about colors…"

"Colors?" Bella was confused, glancing down at J.J.

"Mostly green…" Edward continued. "I think it is what he saw out the window as we drove…trees moving fast…"

Bella nodded, remembering that a baby would find such a thing interesting. She smiled down at J.J. "Well…one day, J.J., we can climb those trees…"

Edward nodded, unable to hide his smile as he watched Bella talk to her son; the son that looked nothing like her; the son that looked completely like Jacob.

"Yes you will." Edward gently ran a hand over J.J.'s head. "Because there are tons of trees in Vermont…"

Bella glanced up quickly at the mention of Vermont. "Vermont?"

Edward nodded, almost sadly. "Its…where you want to go…isn't it?"

Bella nodded feverishly, unable to hide her smile. "Does that mean…you are going to change me?"

Edward sighed, closing his eyes for a moment to gather her thoughts. He did not want to give her an answer, because the answer would shatter him and fill her with joy; he didn't want her to be a monster; she was better then he was, she deserved more.

The silence was killing Bella. "Edward?"

"Yes…but you just need to give me some time…" Edward finally answered, opening his eyes.

"Time?" Bella's smile faded. "How much time?"

"When J.J. gets a little bigger…" Edward's voice was soft as his eyes glanced at the innocent baby in Bella's arms. He shook his head, as if he were choking on his own words. "Just…a few months…a year maybe…"

"Edward, I can't wait a year." Bella told him firmly. "If you don't…"

"I know, I know…you will find someone else." Edward sighed, his eyes locking on Bella's. The gold in them was glimmering out, they were turning black, but not from hunger but rather from stress at the idea of taking Bella's breathe away for eternity. "Can't you just wait?"

Bella shook her head, her eyes drifting to J.J. She had to protect her son; she couldn't wait. She finally looked back up at Edward. "No."

Edward nodded, remaining silent for a long time. It was apparent his heart was breaking at Bella's firmness; and it did hurt her, but not more then the idea of not being able to defend J.J. Suddenly, being a vampire did not appeal to her only because she would have Edward forever; now she needed to be able to protect J.J. too.

After a second, Edward stood again, nodding and picking up Bella's bag and J.J.'s diaper bag. "Come on…we need to get going."


	32. We Are Out of Time

Disclaimer: All characters and things associated with The Twilight Saga belong to Stephanie Meyers. This writing is for pure entertainment only.

Summary: Set during New Moon. After Edward leaves, Bella is miserable and Jacob is there for her until things go too far between them, leaving Bella in an unexpected condition. When Edward returns how will Bella explain her situation to him? B/E B/J pairings

**Chapter 32**

Edward pulled the Volvo to a stop in front of the Cullen's Vermont home. It was a large log cabin, secluded deep within the woods. He had always loved the house, but now it had a drearily look to it; probably because he knew he would be ending Bella's life in it at some point. He sighed, glancing over at Bella who was asleep in the passenger seat next to him.

A gurgle from the backseat caused Edward to turn his attention to a wide awake J.J. For a baby who was only a week old, J.J. was incredibly observant.

_Pretty._ J.J.'s thoughts filled Edward's head as he glanced out the window at the scenery.

Edward smiled at the baby. "It is pretty, J.J."

_Hungry._ J.J. glanced up at Bella, a look like he was ready to cry.

"Don't cry, I'll get her up…" Edward begged the baby, hoping the child would understand. He gently shook Bella. "Bella?"

Bella slowly fluttered her eyes opened, glancing at the huge log cabin in front of them. She stretched her arms out. "Where are we?"

"We are home." Edward told her.

"It's beautiful." Bella smiled at the house in front of her. It was everything she could have ever dreamed of.

Edward nodded before hearing J.J. gurgling again, getting prepared to cry his lungs out.

"We should get you inside. J.J. is hungry." Edward said.

Bella turned, smiling at J.J. whose big brown eyes were glued to her. "Okay." She slowly got out of the car and gathered J.J. out of the backseat.

Edward also got out, gathering J.J.'s bag, as well as a few of Bella's as Carlisle and Emmett pulled up to the large house.

Emmett was the first to jump out of his jeep. "I missed this place!"

"I am starving." Rosalie also got out.

"Why don't you go hunt then?" Edward asked. "I want to get Bella in the house and settled." He really just wanted some peace and quiet for Bella and J.J. to rest and he knew that wouldn't happen with his family giddy to be back in Vermont.

"Good idea." Carlisle climbed out of his BMW, tossing Edward the house keys.

Edward grabbed the keys and smiled at Carlisle, thanking his father, before moving to Bella's side. She now had J.J. bundled up and in her arms.

"Let's get you two inside." Edward said.

Bella smiled at Edward, then down at J.J. before following Edward up the big steps of the cabin, watching him unlock the door and motion her in.

The house was huge, with large windows and a huge fireplace right in the front room, with a grand staircase off to the right of the room. The kitchen lay straight ahead with large windows, overlooking a beautiful slopping backyard. Clearly the house was situated up a mountain.

Bella quickly moved into the cabin, admiring the entire place. She was astonished by its beauty.

"My room is on the first floor." Edward motioned to the hallway next to the staircase. "Last room, straight ahead.

"Okay." Bella smiled gently before moving in the direction Edward had motioned her in.

As they walked down the hallway, Edward explained the three rooms they passed on that wing of the house. "The first room on the left is Carlisle's office…the second one to the right is a guest room…we can make it J.J.'s eventually…"

Bella turned to smile at Edward. "That would be great."

Edward just nodded as he watched Bella move into his room.

Bella stopped short when she got into Edward's room. In the center of the room was a huge bed, with an old wooden frame, and white sheets. Off to the right, was a huge window, overlooking the front yard. Off to the left was an attached bathroom, and a huge closet.

"What's with the bed?" Bella glanced back at Edward.

"Appearances…in case anyone ever came up here." Edward told her. "When we first lived here…Rosalie was still young…she liked to be the life of the party…we used to have people here. Once she found Emmett though, it stopped…he couldn't be around the people…the blood lust…" Edward seemed to be looking off in the distance now as he moved to the big window, before turning his attention back to Bella. "You should feed him, he is hungry." He motioned to J.J.

Bella nodded, climbing onto the bed and pulling her shirt up before putting J.J. to her breast, her thoughts never leaving what Edward had said. "I thought Rosalie found Emmett in Tennessee?"

Edward nodded, his back to her and his attention back outside as he watched Emmett tackling Jasper as Jasper tried to unpack the car. He smiled at his big brother. "She did…she had been hunting down there…long trip…" He turned back to Bella, a small smile on his face at the memory. "She was mad I had turned her down again…"

Bella nodded; she had remembered Edward saying once that Carlisle had changed Rosalie in hopes of her being a mate for Edward. Bella still did not understand why Edward had not wanted Rosalie; she was beautiful.

"Thankfully Carlisle had followed and changed Emmett for Rose. We didn't stay here much longer after that…" Edward said. "We came back a few times with Alice and Jasper but…we just never bothered to move the furniture out."

"Well, that's good for me…for now…" Bella eyed Edward suspiciously. She would not let him forget that he had promised to change her.

Edward's smile faded. "I didn't forget my promise, if you are worried. Just…why don't you get some sleep now? Finish feeding him…" Edward motioned to J.J. as he moved to build a wall of pillows around a small spot on the bed. "You can let him sleep here for now…I will work on a crib."

Bella nodded; she would not push anything right now. She knew Edward was worried, and the truth was, she was tired. She could use some sleep. "Okay."

"Okay." Edward smiled again, and bent down kissing her lips before moving to kiss J.J.'s head. "I love you two…"

"Love you." Bella smiled at Edward's words as she watched him grin and then moved gracefully out of the bedroom, leaving the door partly opened just in case she needed him.

* * *

Sam led the pack quickly through the forest. They were near the Great Lakes now; though they could only guess that was the direction the Cullen's had gone in. It had finally rained earlier, making it hard for the wolves to pick up the familiar scent of the Cullen's car tires burning on the road. They had also tried to avoid Chicago and Detroit, not wanting to scare anyone in the cities. Apparently, the Cullen's had banked on this and driven right through the cities, confusing the pack.

_How do we know we are even going the right way anymore?_ Paul thought. He had been relatively quiet since he had watched Sam attack Jacob days earlier.

_We don't._ Jacob growled, his thoughts filled with sarcasm.

_We will find them._ Sam seemed certain. _It's only a matter of time…_

_Or maybe we won't…maybe it will take years…_Seth thought.

Sam turned, baring his teeth at Seth.

_Just shut up, Seth. _Jared thought, still standing by Sam.

_I am just saying…I am not running around out here for years…_Seth continued.

_You will run as long as I command you, damn it! _Sam was enraged.

_Everyone shut up! _Jared thought, his pace picking up to a harder run. _I found it!_

Jacob felt his stomach drop as the familiar scent of the Cullen's filled his nose. Jared had found the Cullen's trail again. He glanced over at Embry who, even in wolf form, looked sad for Jacob, before shaking his head and following Sam who had taken off on Jared's path. Jacob too, followed. He had no choice.

* * *

Edward sat on the couch downstairs, his eyes glancing at the space in front of him. His mind was moving a million miles an hour, yet his face looked unconcerned. Anyone who walked past him would simply think he was spacing out, but Carlisle knew better as he entered the room and saw Edward.

"What are you thinking about, son?" Carlisle asked, taking a seat next to Edward.

Edward sighed, still looking straight ahead. "You know what I am thinking about."

Carlisle nodded. "Bella's transformation."

Edward nodded. "I wish there was another way."

"Well there isn't." Emmett's voice boomed as he carried in the box for the baby crib he and Jasper had just gone into town to purchase. Jasper came in behind him, flipping the jeep keys around in his hand.

"_Emmett_…" Carlisle warned as he saw the effect Emmett's words had on Edward. Edward's face went blank.

"What?" Emmett dropped the box on the living room floor, in front of Edward and Carlisle and put his arms out. "It's true."

"Still doesn't mean its easy to accept." Jasper said, moving to open the box. He could feel the despair leaking off of Edward, and he felt bad for his brother.

"Yeah but…it's the best thing for Bella…" Emmett looked at Edward. "You gotta know that, man."

Edward sighed, leaning back in the couch. "I just don't know if it is…I mean…we can protect her…she doesn't have to become what we are."

"She has wanted this for a long time, son." Carlisle reminded Edward. "And now…there is real reason to consider it. Bella wants to be able to protect her child…and she should be able to. She shouldn't have to live in constant fear for J.J.'s life…"

"I can protect them both." Edward said firmly.

"But all it takes it one time where you can't." Emmett said. He liked the idea of Bella becoming a vampire because then it meant one more of them, and one less human everyone would have to worry about.

"As _blunt_ as Emmett may have put it…" Carlisle glared at Emmett for a moment. "He has a point."

Edward shook his head. "I just…I can't do this to her…"

Emmett threw his arms out one more time. "I just don't see the problem. The girl wants to be with you forever. You should be happy about that."

"How can I be happy when I am damning her?" Edward sighed, running his hand through his hair.

Suddenly, J.J.'s cries broke through the house, causing Edward to stand quickly.

"I should get him before he wakes Bella up." Edward said, darting out of the room and down the hallway toward his room in a split second.

"See…" Emmett gestured after Edward. "He is a natural at this dad thing…its like Bella and her screwed up life are perfect for Edward and his screwed up life."

"Emmett…lets work on a little empathy skills…" Jasper told his brother, tossing the crib box at him. "And this crib."

Emmett just nodded; ripping the box open and letting the pieces fall to the floor. He had never put a crib together. This would be interesting.

* * *

Jacob was the last one in the pack to cross the New York Stateline. He was hoping Jared was wrong; that the Cullen's hadn't been stupid enough to stay North. He had hoped they would go South, because the pack would never believe it. However, he knew, as he smelled the air and the scent of familiar rubber and Bella's perfume filled his nostrils, that they had gone North.

_They would never risk exposing themselves._ Sam thought, after hearing Jacob's thoughts.

_Fuck you._ Jacob growled.

_Why do you want to protect them so much?_ Jared thought. _Bella left you…for a leach._

_And we are chasing her like a wild animal. Jacob responded._

_Because she has chose to live among them. _Sam replied.

_The Cullen's are not as bad as you think they are. _Seth thought before anyone else could respond.

_And neither is my kid…or Bella._ Jacob added.

_You will see…someday, Jacob…that what we are doing here is for the safety of the tribe._ Sam thought.

_But they Cullen's are gone…they aren't going to be bothering the tribe anymore. _Embry butted in.

_But a werewolf…a half Quileute will be running around…without guidance._ Sam thought.

_Because you didn't want to give him guidance!_ Jacob was furious, his thoughts loud. _You have wanted to destroy my kid for months now!_

_Because there is no way to control someone who is not part of us completely! There has never been a wolf made from a paleface._ Sam explained. _We are protecting our own…our legends._

_The baby wouldn't have exposed us._ Seth thought

_Bullshit._ Jared thought. _Because Bella would have never stayed with Jake. It would have just been a mess…considers this a favor, Jacob._

_You're a dick._ Jacob thought, as something caught his eye. It was Paul. Paul had been behind Sam in the run, but as the argument heated up, Paul had slowly fallen back, next to Embry, without saying a word. Even now, the silver wolves ears were down, as if he did not want to listen but couldn't get the conversation out of his head. Paul had caught Jacob's eye, because Paul had turned his head, his eyes locked on Jacob's wounded neck; the wound Sam had given him.

* * *

Edward swiftly moved into his bedroom, trying to gathering J.J. up before he woke up Bella, but even with his vampire speed, he was too late. Bella was already sitting up, gathering J.J. close to her and trying to sooth the child, who was apparently crying for no reason other then to get Bella's attention.

Edward chuckled a little as he heard J.J.'s simple thoughts. The baby wanted to be with Bella. Edward could relate. He could never get enough Bella either.

"Everything okay?" Bella asked as she gently swayed J.J. in her arms. He was already calming down.

"Just wanted to get him before he woke you up…apparently I wasn't fast enough." Edward explained.

"Yeah…that motherly instinct…" Bella smiled down at J.J. before yawning.

"Do you want me to take him so you can sleep a little longer?" Edward offered. He didn't mind watching J.J. and he thought it might help him get his mind off of changing Bella for a little.

"Don't worry about it." Bella continued to watch J.J. as the infant fell back asleep. "He's my responsibility…plus sleep is overrated…it will be nice not to need to sleep soon." She smiled timidly up at Edward.

Edward just nodded back, his features like stone. He did not like to constantly be reminded by her smiling face how much she wanted to be like him; a monster.

Bella's smile faded as she saw the tortured look on Edward's face at the mention of her change. "Is it that awful?" She whispered.

Edward heard her. "Is what?"

"The thought of having me around forever?" Bella asked, her eyes now locked on J.J. She couldn't bear to see any rejection in Edward's eyes.

"What?" Edward was so confused. How could Bella even think that? "Never…" He sat down next to her on the bed. "Why would you think that?"

"Because you are so against this…" Bella told him.

"Only because I want more for you, Bella." Edward told her. "It is selfish of me to keep you like this, forever…just so I don't ever have to lose you."

"No its not." Bella told him quickly. "Because I can't imagine my life without you again. I've been there…I was a mess…I belong with you."

"You belong in the sun…" Edward shook his head.

Bella reached out, grabbing his cheek to stop his head from moving. "I only want to be in the sun when I get to see my skin shimmer like yours…though it will never be as beautiful."

Edward could see it in Bella's eyes. She meant what she said. He smiled a little at her. "No…you will be much more beautiful." He leaned in, capturing her lips with his and memorizing the warmth of her skin, knowing it wouldn't be like that much longer; not if Bella got her way, which with him was all the time.

* * *

Alice, Rosalie, and Esme ran along the Vermont/New York boarder. They had not meant to wander so far from the house, but the sweet scent of black bear blood had led them quite a distance from their home in Vermont.

Suddenly, Rosalie stopped short, no longer following the black bear she had been chasing.

"What is it?" Esme asked, noticing her blonde daughter was no longer hunting.

Rosalie took another whiff of the air around her. "Smell…"

Esme and Alice both stopped, smelling the air around them.

"Oh no…" Alice commented. She recognized the scent that had caused Rosalie to stop mid-hunt. "Werewolves…"

Rosalie nodded slowly. "I think they are a few miles south…the wind is making the scent come up the mountainside."

Esme nodded. She agreed with Rosalie. "Doesn't give us much time. We need to get back to the house…warn everyone" She was already turning, running back in the direction they had come from.

Alice and Rosalie both quickly followed after Esme. They knew they were far from home, and could outrun the wolves for now, but that once the wolves found their trail, which would be inevitable, they would be after them all.

* * *

Sam slowed his pace, causing the rest of the pack to fall in behind him. They had been running for hours, and now freezing rain had started to fall, and although he was not physically tired, he was mentally drained, and he knew the rest of the pack felt similar. He hated that he had caused so much pressure between pack members, but in his heart, he thought what he was doing was right. Jacob's child was a threat and so were the Cullen's.

_We are stopping for the night._ Sam thought, shaking the cold rain from his coat.

_Finally._ Embry thought.

_We will leave first thing in the morning again._ Sam responded.

_Do you smell that?_ Jared's nose perked up.

Jacob sank his head. He knew what Jared was smelling; the Cullen's. He smelled them too, or so he thought. It was hard to tell with the rain now, mixing scents all around them.

_Smell what?_ Seth growled.

_The vampires._ Jared's nose seemed to scrunch in detest.

_Its not vampires._ Seth said quickly.

_It could be._ Jared shot back.

_It's hard to tell with the rain. That's why we stopped._ Sam butted in quickly.

Its not vampires. Seth continued, though he wasn't sure.

Seth, drop it. Sam ordered.

Seth lowered his head in response to the alpha's command, despite the fact that he wanted to hold it high.

_That's it…give the orders._ Paul's thoughts spoke to the group for the first time in a long time, and they were sarcastic.

Jacob eyed Paul as the big grey wolf seemed to look at him before walking in a circle and plopping his wolf-form on the floor, clearly ready to sleep.

Jacob couldn't help the smile he felt spread across his sharp, wolf-teeth as he glanced between Paul and Sam. Sam seemed worried. Had Paul decided Sam's behavior had gone to far? Jacob though tit seemed that way.

* * *

Alice, Rosalie, and Esme sprinted full force toward the clearing in which their Vermont home stood in, never stopping until they were in the living room with Carlisle, Emmett, and Jasper all looking at them, rather confused.

"Where is Edward?" Alice asked.

"Back with Bella…" Jasper motioned down the hall toward the room Bella and Edward had been in for the past few hours. He could feel the anxiety coming off of Esme, Alice, and Rosalie and it made him worried.

As if on cue, Edward was in the room with Bella trailing behind him, J.J. wide-awake in her arms. Edward had heard Alice's, Rosalie's, and Esme's thoughts, and knew something was wrong.

"What happened?" Edward asked, their thoughts not exactly lining up to tell a story.

"They found us…or are in the process of it." Rosalie said.

"Who?" Bella stepped forward, around Edward as she bounced J.J. in her arms. She had a feeling that she knew exactly who Rosalie was talking about, though she didn't want to believe it.

"The pack…" Esme said, knowing she could say it in a manner that would not be anywhere near as blunt as Rosalie would have.

Edward clenched his jaw, automatically putting a hand on Bella's shoulder. "How do you know?"

"We picked up their scent…a few miles near the New York boarder…" Alice sounded almost defeated.

"That's still pretty far off." Emmett said, folding his arms over his broad chest.

"They can make that ground up in a short amount of time." Edward said. "A few days at most…"

Bella nodded, her eyes darting between J.J. and the rest of the Cullen's. "Then we are out of time…"

"I am sure we can get moving now…put some distance between us…" Edward nodded to himself, glancing at Carlisle for assurance.

Carlisle also nodded. That seemed reasonable. "Yes…if we left now…"

Bella shook her head furiously. "We can't keep running…I can't keep making you guys run."

"Its no big deal, Bella." Edward told her. He knew where she was trying to take the conversation and he couldn't bear it. Not now. It was too soon.

"No it is." Bella turned to him. "Edward, you know we can't keep this up…we are out of time…and I want this to end now. I don't want to be afraid anymore."

Edward moved toward her, wrapping his cold arms around her warm body, absorbing her human smell, her human heat. He couldn't lose this; not yet. "There is nothing to be afraid of…"

Bella pushed away from Edward just enough so that she could look up at his face. "Edward, you have to know that I get what I am doing. It's the right thing. This has to end now...I need to be able to protect J.J. from this…" Her eyes drifted to the baby in her arms.

Edward closed his eyes and did not respond.

"You know…what I am asking. I know what I am asking…but I also know it's the right thing. Edward, you have to change me now…" Bella looked up at Edward.

Edward finally opened his eyes and looked into Bella's chocolate ones, and realized she was not asking him to change, but rather stating it. There was no question in her eyes. This is what she wanted, and this is what she would get. She knew it, and so did everyone else in the room, so Edward had no choice. He nodded weakly. She had won.


	33. Preparations and Starting the Change

Disclaimer: All characters and things associated with The Twilight Saga belong to Stephanie Meyers. This writing is for pure entertainment only.

Summary: Set during New Moon. After Edward leaves, Bella is miserable and Jacob is there for her until things go too far between them, leaving Bella in an unexpected condition. When Edward returns how will Bella explain her situation to him? B/E B/J pairings

**Chapter 33**

Bella held J.J. close to her as she fed him for the last time she would ever be able to. Next time she held her son, she knew she would different, cold to him. She would no longer be breathing, or have a beating heart; she would forever be the same.

"You don't have to do this." Edward stood at the foot of Bella's bed, like a statue. He was desperate; he did not want to condemn her to a life in which she never changed. "We have time…"

"No." Bella shock her head, her eyes locked on J.J. She could see it in her son's eyes; the baby could tell something was not okay. She wished she could comfort him, and keep him calm, but she knew that was impossible when she was not calm. "No, Edward…I know what I am doing."

"Bella…" Edward tried again. He would keep trying, until the end, to change her mind.

"Edward. I need to do this…" Bella looked up at him. "If you can't…I'll…find someone else who will…" Her voice seemed to drift off as her eyes dropped to J.J. again.

"What about J.J.?" Edward tried in one, last, desperate attempt.

Bella again looked up at Edward quickly, a little thrown off by his answer. "Rosalie…and Esme said…they would watch him while I…you know…change…"

"That's not what I mean…I mean…what is going to happen to him? With a vampire for a mom?" Edward asked.

"He is too young to know any different. Only more reason to do this now. He will be used to me by the time he can really understand…" Bella said.

"Fine…" Edward sounded defeated as his shoulders slumped. He knew he had lost the argument completely now. "I'll…get Carlisle to get his office ready."

"Edward…" Bella did not like to see him so hurt. "This is what I want. Trust me, it will be okay."

Edward just nodded at her, trying his best to put a brave face on as he moved out the bedroom door and toward Carlisle's office.

* * *

Jacob woke up to the feeling of a nudge on his side. He opened his eyes to see Seth, in wolf-form, nudging him. Jacob stood, not realizing he too was in wolf-form until he was on all fours. He shook his head, stretching out.

_Sam wants to get moving._ Seth thought sadly, his head motioning up the trail ahead of him, where Sam and the rest of the wolves stood waiting.

_Lets go, Jacob._ Sam commanded.

_Sorry I don't feel like moving so quickly…_Jacob growled.

_Well too bad, because we are._ Sam thought. _We picked back up the Cullen's trail._

Jacob was furious, snarling even. He wanted nothing more then to break away from Sam, to stop following his Alpha's orders.

Sam laughed in his own head. He had heard Jacobs' thoughts. _You can't break away, Jake. You gave up your Alpha status…now you listen to me._

No one else seemed to find Sam's words amusing. Silence filled the thoughts of everyone's head. Jacob noticed this, wondering why Paul and Jared were no longer snickering with Sam like they had weeks ago.

_Lets get moving. We don't have all day._ Sam began down the path following the scent of the Cullen's as the rest of the pack fell in step behind him, a little slower then the day before.

* * *

Edward moved into Carlisle's office to find his father already setting a small bed up for Bella to lay on while she was changed. Edward knew that was Carlisle's way of showing he agreed with Bella's decision. If he hadn't agreed he wouldn't have been so prepared.

"So we are really going to do this?" Edward sighed.

Carlisle looked up at his son, his face solemn. "Edward, we will make it as painless as possible for her…"

"How do we even know this is the right thing anymore?" Edward asked, his eyes desperately looking for advice.

"It is what she wants." Carlisle told his son. "And I know it is what you want…deep down."

Edward shook his head. "It makes me so selfish…that I would rather kill her then let her live a normal and happy life."

"She chose this path, Edward." Carlisle said. "And in a way…it makes sense. For her…for J.J…for us all."

Edward just shook his head, his shoulder's slumped.

"Edward, please stop acting like this…" Alice drifted into Carlisle's office. She hating seeing Edward so upset, and Jasper had told her the despair was coming off of Edward in waves. "I had a vision of her as one of us…even before you decided to change her. That means this is what would have happened whether you told her you would do it or not."

Edward looked up at Alice, his eyebrow raised. "Or it just meant that I selfishly knew I would do this to her someday…"

"I don't think its that." Alice told him. "And you can't be selfish if she is the one pushing for this…things will work out, Edward. I know they will."

Edward sighed for a moment, reading Alice's thoughts as he pinched the bridge of his nose between his fingers. She genuinely meant everything she said. She truly believed things would be okay. After a second, he glanced back at his sister. "You believe that?"

"Of course I do." Alice smiled gently at her favorite brother.

Edward nodded, giving Alice a small smile. It was nice to see that someone had faith in what was about to happen to Bella. Even if he didn't completely believe what Alice did, it made him feel better knowing she truly believed everything that was about to happen would be in Bella's best interest.

* * *

Rosalie and Esme made their way into Edward's bedroom, that Bella was using, at Bella's request. They found the young mother moving swiftly around the room with J.J. in her arms. She stopped, however, when she saw the two vampires enter.

"Did you need something, Bella?" Esme asked sweetly.

"Uh…yeah…just…wanted to go over some stuff with you about J.J." Bella slightly lifted her arm, which held her son for emphasis.

"Oh, sure, sweetie." Esme smiled warmly, wanting to calm Bella down. It was clear that the young mother was stressing out.

"Well…I will leave some bottles for him…but I think we need to get him on formula soon…since I won't be able to…" Bella glanced at her breast and then shook her head slightly. "And his baby bag has everything you should need for three days…"

"We will be fine, Bella." Rosalie assured her. She was happy to be able to be in charge of an infant for a few days, knowing it was the closest she would come to motherhood.

"Are…are you sure?" Bella stammered on her words.

"Perfectly fine." Rosalie gave a small smile.

Bella nodded. "Okay good…one less thing to worry about…" She laughed nervously.

"Bella…are you sure this is what you want?" Esme asked after a minute. She had to be completely sure before she agreed to let Edward do this. She knew she could easily stop Bella's change by one flick of her eyes to either Carlisle or Edward.

Bella looked confused at Esme, and nodded after a minute. "Of course…"

"Are you sure?" Esme asked one more time.

Bella nodded again sternly, trying to assert in her own head that she did want to be changed, but in truth she wasn't exactly sure. It scared her; the thought of losing her life, but what she would gain meant too much more to her. It meant J.J. would be safe, and she could be with Edward forever. She knew, deep down, it was exactly what she wanted.

* * *

Edward stepped outside to get some fresh air. He knew it was only a matter of minutes before someone would come out and tell him Bella was all ready for him to take her life. He took a deep unneeded breath, smelling the sweat scent of newly fallen rain. He knew if it were a few degrees cooler it might even be snowing.

Suddenly, the door to the house opened. Edward did not turn to see who it was, he could hear their thoughts. Jasper and Emmett fell silently in line next to him.

"You know you are doing the right thing?" Emmett spoke first. "Everything is going to work out…once Bella is changed…"

"I don't want to think about it." Edward said quickly, cutting Emmett off.

"Bella is calm about it." Jasper told him. "Why can't you be?"

"Because I am taking her life." Edward continued to look straight ahead.

"She wants this, Edward." Jasper told her.

"How many times do you think a girl who is willing to give up her entire life for you comes along?" Emmett added.

Edward just shook his head. "She shouldn't have to give up her life. She should have a happy, normal life…"

"Well, in case you forgot, we aren't normal…and she doesn't attract normal." Emmett said.

Edward just turned and glared at his much larger brother.

"There is no more time to think about this, Edward." Jasper said. "It's what Bella wants…its what's best for the given situation. If you don't do it, someone else will…"

Edward raised an eyebrow at Jasper, reading Jasper's mind and seeing a conversation that took place between Jasper, Alice, and Carlisle. Carlisle had told them he would change Bella if Edward could not.

Edward closed his eyes for a second, trying to erase the conversation from his mind, but it was impossible. Bella would be a vampire regardless of what he wanted for her.

"Carlisle said they would be ready in a few." Emmett did not know what thoughts of Jasper's Edward had just read and he assumed Edward's silence was because he was just being stubborn. "Alice went to get Bella."

Edward just nodded.

Jasper gently put a hand on Edward's shoulder, trying to calm Edward. "It really is for the best."

Edward said nothing and instead turned, quickly making his way back into the house, leaving Jasper and Emmett standing on the front steps in silence.

* * *

Alice silently made her way into the room Bella was nervously rocking J.J. around in. Bella was so caught up in her own thoughts that she had not even noticed Alice floating into the room. When she turned in her pace she practically jumped ten feet in the air at the sight of Alice.

"Sorry…" Alice apologized for scaring Bella.

"Well…you won't be able to sneak up on me much longer…" Bella tried to joke, her eyes floating down to J.J. in her arms.

"Yeah…" Alice nodded slowly. "Carlisle…is ready whenever you are…"

Bella took a deep breath, her eyes still on J.J. "I guess now or never, right…"

Alice could tell Bella was worried, and she did not want her to be. She had a vision; everything would be fine. "Bella…I have to tell you something…"

"What?" Bella looked up quickly, unsure how to take the tone in Alice's voice.

"I had a vision of you…on the car ride up here…" Alice started.

Bella stiffened at Alice's words. What kind of vision had Alice had? What would it mean about what was going to happen to Bella shortly. After a long moment, Bella urged Alice to continue. "And…"

"I know you're worried about the choice you are making…but you shouldn't be." Alice said with a small smile. "I had a vision of your future…I don't know how I saw J.J. in it…but I did, and he was a huge healthy wolf running next to you…with Edward at your side…and your eyes were so gold. It was perfect…"

Bella stood dumbfounded for a second, trying to take in all Alice had just said. If Alice was telling the truth, it meant every dream Bella had ever wanted was about to be reality. Her son would live, and she would be with Edward forever.

"Alice…are you sure?" Bella asked after a long second.

Alice nodded fiercely. "Things are going to be fine, Bella."

Bella smiled after a second, feeling much more relieved.

"Feeling better?" Alice asked.

Bella nodded, taking a deep breath and kissing J.J. on the forehead. "Much."

"Good. Then we should go meet Carlisle." Alice said.

Bella nodded, moving slowly and placing J.J. on the bed between some pillows. She stared down at her son for awhile, knowing it was the last time she would see him for at least a few days, maybe longer. After a second she kissed him softly on the head, whispering in his ear. "I love you, baby…"

J.J. seemed to coo as Bella's warm breath grazed his cheek.

"Rosalie will be in to watch him." Alice said after another minute.

Bella nodded, standing, but her eyes never leaving her beautiful little son; her little own Jacob. She would miss being able to hold him for awhile.

* * *

The pack followed Sam as he accelerated through the woods, moving faster then they had before. He couldn't waste the precious trail, or the time; he needed the pack to keep moving if they were going to catch up to the Cullen's.

_Faster._ Sam commanded

_This is wrong._ Seth thought, though his legs moved faster. _I can't do this…I won't._

_You will._ Sam told him, his alpha voice strong.

_I don't want to hurt them. The Cullen's didn't do anything…neither did Bella or that baby._ Seth knew he was taking a risk talking about how he felt, but he couldn't be responsible for what he considered innocent deaths.

Before Sam could say another word, or command Seth to stop, Seth lunged at Sam, almost knocking him to the ground. Unfortunately, when Seth was midair, Sam had registered the younger wolfs thoughts.

_STOP._ Sam commanded, causing Seth's stride to break in the middle of his lung, and the youngest wolf to fall to the ground. _You cannot go against me, so stop trying. I do not want to hurt any of you._

_Well if we are all so against it maybe it's wrong._ Paul's thoughts were loud for the first time in a long time. _Just because you want us to agree with you, you can't force us. It's not fair to bully us…_

_I am not bullying you, I am doing what is right for the tribe. For our own safety._ Sam walked up to Paul, his head much higher then the other wolves. _And since when do you go against the welfare of the tribe, Paul?_

_I am just saying…_Paul dipped his head. He did not want to sound like he had betrayed the tribe. _You're not being a good leader…_

_Well I am the only one you have. _Sam said quickly, his eyes glancing at the wolf form of Jacob before turning back to Paul. _So you will all listen. Shut up, and lets move._

And with Sam's harsh command, the pack fell back in line and continued moving. Jacob fell in line behind Jared and Paul, moving under Sam's command but noticing for the first time that things between the pack were beginning to fall apart.

* * *

Bella moved slowly into Carlisle's office, noticing that a small hospital bed took up the majority of the room. Carlisle stood in the far corner, filling up a large shot, while Edward watched him, helplessly, from a seat on Carlisle's desk.

Bella glanced at Edward quickly, but then dropped her gaze, noticing for the first time just how sad he looked. His pout matched that of a five-year-old boys, and had the circumstances been different she was sure she would have teased him, but she knew he was pouting for her, sad to watch her give her life. She would never understand it; she just wanted to spend eternity with him.

"Ready?" Carlisle's voice broke the silence of the room.

Bella looked up at Carlisle, nodding quickly.

"Well, lay down on here then…" Carlisle motioned to the hospital bed. "I am going to give you some morphine to numb the pain…I hope it helps."

Bella nodded again as she climbed up on the bed, her mouth suddenly dry.

"Edward also suggested we use anesthesia to put you under…so maybe things will hurt less…" Carlisle continued.

"I…I am sure the morphine will be enough…" Bella said, her voice softer then usual.

Edward's eyes immediately shifted, becoming sharp as he stood and moved toward Bella. "The morphine will hardly numb it."

Bella's eyes locked with Edward and she found herself numbly nodding at the vampire she loved so dearly. "Then…I'll take the anesthesia."

"Good." Edward's shoulders seemed to relax and his eyes became softer as he leaned over Bella who was laying down now. "I just don't want this to hurt you more then necessary."

"I know…" Bella nodded at Edward.

Edward nodded back, a small smile on her face. "Good." He kissed her forehead and then made a motion to Carlisle to start the morphine. "I'll be here when you wake up…I promise."

Bella nodded again. "I love you."

"I love you too." Edward whispered against her head, kissing her one more time as the morphine and anesthesia did its work, and Bella's eyes began to close.

After a few seconds, Carlisle placed a hand on Edward's back. "She is asleep." He motioned to Bella.

Edward nodded. He knew she was a sleep; he just wanted a few more minutes to hear her heart beat. It was the most beautiful sound he had ever heard. After a few seconds however, he sighed. He knew he had no choice; he needed to give Bella what she wanted.

Slowly, Edward bent down, burying his face in Bella's neck and taking one deep breath before sinking his teeth into the side of her neck.


	34. Newborns and New Leaders

Disclaimer: All characters and things associated with The Twilight Saga belong to Stephanie Meyers. This writing is for pure entertainment only.

Summary: Set during New Moon. After Edward leaves, Bella is miserable and Jacob is there for her until things go too far between them, leaving Bella in an unexpected condition. When Edward returns how will Bella explain her situation to him? B/E B/J pairings

**Chapter 34**

Alice, Jasper, Emmett and Carlisle stood outside on the porch of their home, all glancing out at the forest in front of them, knowing somewhere in it lurked some angry werewolves, ready to attack them.

"How much time do you think we have before they show up?" Emmett asked, his eyes glued to the forest.

"The wolves still seemed a few days out." Alice said. "Hopefully Bella will be tamable by then."

"Or awake." Jasper added. He was unsure how he felt about Bella being a newborn in the middle of everything going on.

"She will be fine." Carlisle said, trying to assure his kids, but also trying to assure himself.

Suddenly, the front door opened and Rosalie stepped out on the porch.

"Esme is just trying to get J.J. to sleep…its not going to well. He really is attached to Bella. He keeps looking around the room. He's hardly slept the last two days." Rosalie commented.

"He's smart." Emmett agreed.

"Where is Edward?" Carlisle asked.

"Still with Bella." Rosalie said. Edward had not left Bella's side since she had begun her change.

"Well, she should be waking soon. It's been two days now." Carlisle commented.

"Well, what are we going to do with J.J. when she does wake up?" Jasper asked. He had seen many newborns and he was certain Bella wouldn't be able to handle herself around her son right away. "We can't risk Bella being around him."

Carlisle nodded. He did agree with that. He too, knew newborn vampires well. "Esme and I will take him into town for awhile, although I am not sure she is much of a threat. J.J. smells too much of werewolf. After a few days I doubt even a newborn would want to bite into that."

"Is that really a good idea?" Emmett asked. "I mean…Carlisle, you've got the best negotiating skills out of all of us. If the wolves come…all I am gonna wanna do is crack some ribs." Emmett grinned a little at his own comment.

"Yeah." Rosalie immediately agreed with Emmett, knowing that without Carlisle, there was a chance none of them would even want to hold back against the wolves. "Maybe you and Esme should stay behind. I am sure Emmett and I can handle J.J."

"What?" Emmett looked immediately disappointed. He was looking forward to taking out at least one werewolf.

Carlisle, seeing in Emmett's eyes how ready he was for a fight immediately agreed with Rosalie. "Go get J.J., Rosalie, and Emmett…go pack yourselves a bag."

"But…I…" Emmett was upset.

"Its just for a few days, Emmett." Alice assured her brother. "Once Bella is fine, we will tell you to bring J.J. back."

"Yeah, you may not even miss the wolves." Jasper gave Emmett a grin, knowing that was why Emmett was upset.

"Yeah…yeah…" Emmett put his head down as he sluggishly made his way into the house, Rosalie on his heels to go gather J.J. and his things.

* * *

Edward held Bella's now cold hand in his. Her temperature seemed to be matching his. He knew the change was almost done now. She had stopped screaming hours ago, but her screams where not something Edward would ever forget.

He sighed, leaning back in his chair next to Bella's bed and looked around Carlisle's office, trying to get a grasp of what he had just done.

He had taken Bella's life, but she had no been sick, she had not been dying. There was no reason to end her life accept for the fact that he was selfish, because he didn't want to live without her.

Edward didn't know if he would ever forgive himself for causing Bella such pain. Even with the morphine, she had screamed out in pain through the change. He hoped when she opened her eyes it would be different, that he could maybe find justice in what he had done, but he wouldn't know that until she opened her eyes. He just hoped that was soon. Not hearing her voice for two days was driving him mad.

* * *

The pack ran quickly, following Sam's every move, but Jacob's mind was racing. He knew he was running out of time to stop Sam, but he knew he needed to. He just had to figure out a way to do it.

Seth quickly shifted his attention to Jacob; he could hear Jacob's thoughts, which meant so could Sam. Jacob couldn't keep anything to himself in his wolf form.

_Jacob? Something to say?_ Sam stopped, his thick black fur blowing in the breeze as he turned to face Jacob. He had heard Jacob's thoughts.

_Why even ask? You can hear everything in my head._ Jacob's thoughts growled.

The rest of the pack turned to watch the conflict between Jacob and Sam.

_You want to take a shot? Go for it. But you only get one before I make you stop._ Sam growled back. He needed to get this over with. The faster everyone realized they were going to do the right thing and take out the Cullen's, the faster the pack could get back to the reservation.

_One shot?_ Jacob stepped toward Sam.

_One shot. _Sam thought.

_Well I'll make it count then._ Jacob seemed to smile, if it were possible for wolves to smile, his large glistening at Sam.

* * *

Esme carried J.J. out of the house as Rosalie carried his diaper bag, which contained everything she and Emmett would need for the baby for a few days. The two women then moved out onto the porch where they found Carlisle, Alice, Jasper, and Emmett waiting for them.

Emmett bounded up the steps, taking J.J. from Esme. "I should get him in the jeep."

"You have the baby seat?" Esme asked.

Emmett nodded, pointing to the seat in the back of the jeep.

"Is a jeep really that safe for a baby?" Alice questioned.

Emmett rolled his eyes. "I've never been in an accident in my life…"

"It will be fine." Carlisle assured everyone.

"How long should we…stay away?" Rosalie asked.

"I'll call you when things are looking better here." Carlisle said.

"What if the wolves get here before then?" Emmett asked, he really wanted to fight.

"Then we will handle things accordingly." Carlisle said.

"I am sure we can take them on our own." Jasper teased Emmett, knowing how much Emmett wanted to knock around a few wolves.

"We should really get going." Rosalie ran a hand over Emmett's broad back.

Emmett nodded, and moved to place J.J. gently in the jeep as Rosalie climbed into the back seat, next to the baby's seat. Emmett then jumped in the driver's seat and roared out of the driveway.

"I hope sending them off was a smart idea." Carlisle took a deep breath, wrapping an arm around Esme.

"Rosalie will take good care of J.J. Esme comforted her husband with what she knew to be true. Rosalie would take the best care of J.J., she already had been in the past two days. It was clear, regardless of the fact that J.J. was half werewolf, that Rosalie felt a connection to the infant.

* * *

Edward's eyes moved quickly up from his seat next to Bella's bed as he felt her hand twitch. He watched the woman he loved closely, she was waking up from the change. He held his unneeded breath, waiting for another sign that she would be by his side again soon.

Slowly, Bella's eyes opened to reveal a crimson red color. Edward winced, looking away. He would miss those beautiful chocolate eyes.

"Edward?" Bella's voice sounded musical.

Edward glanced back up at Bella, seeing her gently smiling at him.

"Bella…" Edward breathed in her beauty. If it were possible, she was even more beautiful now then before.

"I…I did okay?" Bella looked around the room in awe, clearly amazed at her new ability to see anything and everything.

"You did wonderful, love." Edward kissed her hand, it felt so much colder now then it ever had before. "How are you feeling?"

Bella realized in that instant that her throat had never been so dry in her entire life. Immediately her hands reached for it, she was surprised she was even able to speak. "I'm so…thirsty…"

Edward nodded. He had expected that much. "We need to go hunting." He offered her his hand and quickly pulled her off the bed.

Bella landed agilely on her feet, a small smile on her face. She had never been this graceful before. Immediately, she moved to the mirror, shocked to see her reflection starring back at her. She was beautiful, her skin the same color as Edward's, and her better features all enhanced. The only thing that frightened her was her eyes; they were such a sinister red.

"My eyes…" Bella said softly.

"They will be red for a little…eventually they will fade to gold, like all of ours…" Edward told her.

Bella just nodded, that was something she could accept. She turned quickly to Edward. "How is J.J.?"

Edward raised an eyebrow, surprised that Bella could focus on anything other then her thirst; that was something he had never seen a newborn be able to do. "Don't worry about him right now, lets go eat." Edward quickly took Bella's hand and led her out to the front porch, where Esme, Carlisle, Alice, and Jasper all stood, surprised to see Bella.

"You made it through!" Alice giggled, grabbing Bella and pulling her in for a hug, not having to worry for the first time that she was crushing Bella.

Bella just smiled at her best friend.

"How are you feeling, Bella?" Carlisle asked, curiously.

"A little thirsty…" Bella searched around the yard. "Where is J.J.?"

Carlisle's thoughts blasted in Edward's head. _How could she possibly be focused on anything else but hunting? Amazing…_

Edward nodded at his father. He too was in awe of Bella's self-control.

"Rosalie and Emmett took him away for a little while." Esme explained. "But don't worry, he is in good hands…"

Bella just nodded; a little disappointed that she could not see her son. She missed him so much already.

"Come, Bella. We should hunt." Edward took Bella by the hand and led her off into the woods, impressed as she ran side by side with him, a grin on her face as she tried out her vampire legs for the first time.

Once Edward and Bella were out of sight, Jasper turned to Carlisle. "I am impressed. She could actually think and talk about other things besides blood. Most newborns could never do such a thing…"

"Most hungry vampires could not do such a thing." Carlisle added. "I am also impressed. Her self-control is amazing already."

"I told you she would be fine." Alice smiled a wide smile. Her vision had been absolutely correct about Bella. She would make a perfect vampire.

* * *

Edward watched in amazement as Bella wiped the blood from the deer away from the side of her mouth before turning to smile at him. She was beautiful, even in the messy state she appeared in from her first hunt. He couldn't take his eyes off of her.

"How did I do?" Bella asked.

"Brilliantly." Edward told her, smiling. "I am…very impressed."

"Well, I am trying my best." Bella told him, her eyes moving back in the direction they had come in, the direction of the Cullen's house. "I just want to get back to J.J."

"That…" Edward chuckled slightly. "I don't understand."

Bella raised an eyebrow at the man she loved. "What do you mean?"

"I don't get how you can think about anything but blood. How can J.J. even cross your mind?" Edward asked.

"Because he is my son." Bella told Edward, upset as to why he couldn't grasp that. J.J. was always the first thing on Bella's mind.

"Yeah, but you should be thinking about him as dinner…that's how most newborns think." Edward told her.

"Most newborns don't have babies." Bella said simply. "I've got…motherly instincts, I guess you could say. I could never hurt J.J."

"I am getting that." Edward nodded in agreement.

"When do you think Rosalie and Emmett will bring him back?" Bella asked.

Edward sighed, shrugging a bit. "I'll talk to Carlisle when we get back…"

Bella smiled, nodding at him as her brown hair swirled in the breeze.

Edward caught Bella's scent and realized it was even more intoxicating then it had been when she was human. He quickly stepped toward the newborn, wrapping his arms around her instantly. "Bella…" He whispered.

Bella knew if she could blush, she would have immediately. Edward had never been this carefree with her, this close to her. She glanced into his golden eyes, looking for her voice. "Yes…?"

"You're beautiful." Edward moved in, kissing Bella hard and passionately. He knew he could no longer hurt her; he did not have to be careful this time.

Bella had never felt Edward kiss her like that, when he finally pulled away, all of her thoughts of J.J. suddenly shifted to the vampire in front of her, her own beautiful Greek god. Immediately, instinct took over, and Bella jumped back into Edward's arms, diving in for a kiss as she ripped his shirt off.

Edward grinned as she pushed him to the ground and climbed on top of him. This was not how he expected his first time with Bella to be. He had wanted to wait to marry her, treat her the right way, but he could see his plans were not going to go the way he wanted them too. Plus, Bella was his forever now, and if she wanted him like that, he would not object.

* * *

Jacob stood across from Sam, the two wolves eyes stalking each other. Neither was ready to make a move, though Sam had a feeling one was coming. He would let Jacob get one strike in before he commanded Jacob to stop, but if Jacob did attack him, Sam would command him to kill his child when the time came, as a form of punishment. He couldn't let anyone in the pack disobey him.

_One shot, Jacob._ Sam's thoughts growled.

_Oh I know._ Jacob seemed to grin, if it were possible for wolves could grin. With that look, Jacob charged at Sam, sinking his teeth into Sam's neck.

Sam was surprised by Jacob's choice of attack and needed it to stop before things got out of hand. _Enough, Jacob! Stop!_

Jacob felt his body go limp, as if he had no control of his limbs, the Alpha's orders being obeyed despite what Jacob wanted. The next thing Jacob felt was Sam pushing Jacob to the ground.

_Stay down._ Sam said calmly, but proudly to Jacob.

Jacob was furious. He hated what Sam was doing; he hated listening to the large black wolf. He was sick of it; he didn't want this anymore. Suddenly, Jacob mustered strength he did not think he had and stood, against Sam's order. _No._

Sam looked at Jacob in shock, unable to believe that Jacob had defied him. It was impossible. He was the Alpha. All had to obey him. _Get down, Jacob._

_No._ Jacob's thoughts were defiant as he realized what he had done.

_How…_Paul's thoughts were loud. He did not understand how Jacob could say no to Sam. Sam was in charge; Alpha's orders got obeyed no matter what.

The rest of the pack stood, equally shocked.

_You can't control me anymore, Sam. I am my own man._ Jacob's wolf form smiled, standing taller then Sam's, as a real Alpha should stand.


	35. A Wolf Following

Disclaimer: All characters and things associated with The Twilight Saga belong to Stephanie Meyers. This writing is for pure entertainment only.

Summary: Set during New Moon. After Edward leaves, Bella is miserable and Jacob is there for her until things go too far between them, leaving Bella in an unexpected condition. When Edward returns how will Bella explain her situation to him? B/E B/J pairings

**Chapter 35**

Bella lay on top of Edward's hard chest, both of their eyes gazing up at the tall trees that surrounded them. They were in bliss, both of them more in love with the other then they ever thought possible and neither wanted to move.

"Well…that was certainly worth the wait…" Edward gently kissed Bella's forehead, wrapping his arms around her bare chest.

Bella nodded against Edward. She never thought in a million years she would sleep with Edward in the middle of the woods, yet there she lay, in complete ecstasy. "Yeah…"

"We should probably start heading back to the house…" Edward kissed Bella's forehead once more before gracefully sitting up, handing her some of the clothing he had torn off her body.

Bella quickly slipped back into her clothes, standing and walking with Edward hand-in-hand back toward the house.

The pair made it back to the house quickly, there gaze never leaving one another. When they reached the house they found Carlisle standing on the steps, a phone in his hand. He was clearly waiting for their arrival.

"How did it go?" Carlisle asked as Bella and Edward approached the steps.

Bella glanced nervously at Edward for an answer.

"She did great." Edward beamed at Bella.

"Good." Carlisle nodded, smiling at Bella. "Bella, why don't you go inside? I am sure Esme will want to hear all about it."

"Okay…" Bella smiled back at Carlisle and gave Edward a quick kiss before heading into the house.

Once Bella was inside, Carlisle turned to Edward, his smile slightly faded. "Really…how did she do?"

Edward's smile didn't fade a bit. "She honestly did wonderful, Carlisle. I've never seen such restraint in a newborn. I don't think she will have any problems…she is more anxious to get J.J. back and make sure he is safe."

"He is safe, he is with Rosalie and Emmett." Carlisle reminded his son.

"I know that. But…she's his mother…" Edward started.

"Believe me, I understand the bond between parent and child." Carlisle took a deep breath. "If you are certain she can handle having J.J. around…"

"She would never hurt him." Edward said, not a doubt in his mind.

Carlisle nodded after a moment. "Alright, then I will call Rosalie."

Edward smiled at his father, glad to see Carlisle taking his word on the matter. He was certain that Bella would be even calmer once she had her son home safe.

* * *

Jacob stood tall. He realized instantly what had just happened and couldn't believe he had not tried to make it happen sooner. He was the grandson of a chief, he was never meant to follow anyone's orders. He was his own alpha now.

Sam, too, seemed to realize what had happened all too quickly and turned ferociously at the rest of the pack.

_I command you not to listen to him_. Sam ordered them.

Immediately, Seth, whose thoughts were clearly on joining Jacob's pack realized he had no control. Sam had gotten to him first; he couldn't follow Jacob if they wanted to. Seth knew there was only one thing he could do.

_Go, Jake! Go!_ Seth's thoughts were loud.

Jacob's wolf form nodded, and then suddenly realized his head was silent. He could no longer hear any of the packs thoughts. No one's except Sam's who continued to tell the ret of the pack to stand down.

Immediately Jacob turned, his huge red wolf-form lumbering as quickly away from the pack as possible. He knew he had little time, but he had to get to the Cullen's to warn them. He could hear the rest of the pack running after him, clearly hunting him now, but he also knew he was much faster then any of them. He picked up his stride.

* * *

Rosalie and Emmett sat curled up on the bed in a rather large, extravagant hotel room, which J.J. sleeping in between them. They were watching a movie on low, though Rosalie hardly was paying any attention. Her focus was completely on the little baby next to her.

Suddenly, Rosalie's thoughts were broken, as Emmett's cellphone began ringing.

"Answer it!" Rosalie hissed. "Before it wakes up J.J."

Emmett nodded, and grabbed his phone, flipping it open in less then a second. "Hello?"

_Emmett, its me._ Carlisle's voice came through the phone just as J.J. seemed to be stirring awake, causing Rosalie to roll her eyes.

"What's up, Carlisle?" Emmett asked.

_Bella just finished her hunt and we are all in agreement she will be fine around J.J._ Carlisle's voice was loud enough for Rosalie to hear. _We think you should return at once._

"Sure thing." Emmett said, hanging the phone up and smiling at Rosalie. "Looks like we are heading home."

Rosalie's eyes dropped to J.J., worry clouding her expression. "Are we sure its safe? For J.J. I mean."

"Carlisle said Bella was fine." Emmett reminded her with a shrug. "He wouldn't like about that."

After a moment Rosalie nodded, gathering J.J. in her arms. "Guess you are right…"

Emmett just smiled, standing to grab the few items, mostly things for J.J., that they had brought with them to the hotel, just in case they were going to be spending more then a few nights.

* * *

Bella made her way into J.J.'s room, picking up a pile of his clothes that Esme must have washed and placing them in the top drawer of her dresser. J.J. did not have many articles of clothing to begin with, but Rosalie must have taken most of them, Bella realized, as she noticed J.J.'s drawer was empty.

As Bella closed the drawer she glanced up and caught herself in the mirror. She couldn't believe she was staring back at herself. Her red eyes and perfect skin seemed so foreign to her. She didn't think she could ever look so beautiful.

Edward moved into the room, wrapping his arms around Bella, for once not afraid to break her. "You look beautiful."

_It's not real._ Bella thought to herself.

Suddenly, Edward's brow furrowed. Had he just heard Bella? "Bella…did you think something? About this not being real?"

Bella looked at Edward in the mirror and nodded, confused. "How did you…"

"Bella…" Edward began to smile. "I can hear your thoughts! Finally!"

Bella turned to Edward. "Really?"

Edward nodded feverishly, kissing her down her neck.

Bella kissed Edward back and the too remained lip-locked for a few more minutes before Bella broke away, her thoughts drifting back to J.J. and suddenly, Edward could no longer hear them.

Edward frowned. "Did you stop thinking?"

Bella shook her head. "No. I am thinking about J.J."

"I can't hear you again…" Edward frowned more. "Its like…I can only hear you when you want me to."

Bella grinned slightly. Maybe she did have some powers as a vampire after all.

"Stop worrying about J.J." Edward said after a minute of silence in his head. He could only guess what Bella was thinking now. "Rosalie is on her way back with him…everything's going to work out."

"And the wolves?" Bella finally had the strength to ask if they were still in mortal danger.

Edward shrugged. "Nothing yet. But I am sure we will figure it out soon. When they come, we will be ready."

Bella nodded, for once feeling confident about what Edward was saying. She cold defend J.J. herself now, and she would defend her son with all her strength.

* * *

Rosalie sat in the back of the jeep with J.J. in the baby seat as Emmett raced along the road. They were trying to get back to the cabin in record time, and Emmett's speed was certainly making that possible.

"Just a few miles." Emmett said, glancing in the rearview mirror at Rosalie.

Rosalie nodded, her eyes moving from J.J. to the side of the road, lined with woods. Something was moving in the trees along side of them. She was certain of it.

"Emmett…tell me if you see something over there…" Rosalie pointed to the side of the road.

Emmett glanced in the direction Rosalie was pointing and suddenly, his foot was hitting the gas even harder. That was not a good sign.

"Did you…" Rosalie started.

"It's a wolf. I am sure of it." Emmett said, watching his speedometer move up at an alarming rate.

"It can't be…" Rosalie refused to acknowledge her words fear.

"It is. I am telling you." Emmett was certain.

Rosalie continued to watch the shadow moving in the woods and realized Emmett was exactly right. There was a wolf bounding in the woods eerily close to them. She began to panic and pulled J.J. much closer to her. "Step on it, Emmett!"

Emmett nodded and had his foot holding the accelerator to the floor. He knew they had to get to the cabin before the wolf did if they had any chance of warning anyone. He had a feeling that the had a nasty fight about to break out on their hands.

* * *

Jacob, in wolf form, quickly ripped through the woods. He had no idea where he was going, and could only pick up faint trails of the Cullen's. So faint that he wasn't even sure it as the Cullen's anymore.

He was about to slow down when his path led him closer to the road, and he saw a familiar gray jeep zooming by. He would recognize that car anywhere, but more important he would recognize the driver of it anyway.

He knew instantly, Emmett was in the front seat. His large frame was unmistakable. Jacob quickly picked up his pace, running along side the jeep. He was hoping it would lead him to Bella and J.J.; hoping he would be able to warn the Cullen's before the pack found them all.

* * *

Edward had pulled Bella down on her own bed, kissing her feverishly. Sometime, after Bella's worry about the wolves being close had been vocalized, she had Edward had started kissing, and had not stopped.

Edward climbed on top of Bella, not afraid to hurt the newborn vampire at all. He smiled down at her. "You are beautiful."

Bella knew if she had been capable of it, she would be blushing. She quickly wrapped her hands through Edward's tousled hair and pulled him closer for a kiss.

A second later, however, Edward pulled away, freezing in midair, his eyes gazing out the window.

"What? Did I do something wrong?" Bella asked, instantly embarrassed.

"No…shh…" Edward told her. "I…I think I hear Rosalie…"

_Edward!_ Rosalie's thoughts shouted in Edward's head. _We are almost back! We have a problem though, the wolves are following us…or one is…I hope you can hear me, damn it._

"We have a problem." Edward said, quickly climbing off of Bella and moving through the house to the front door.

Bella was a step behind him, and managed to get out onto the porch just as Emmett's jeep ripped up to the front of the house.

"J.J.!" Bella was at the jeep in an instant, gathering her son in her arms, as she felt Emmett quickly move past her toward the house. She kissed J.J. gently, not wanting to overuse her strength and then stared down at him, unable to hide her smile. She was so happy her son was back in her arms; a second later, Bella's smile faded, as she felt Edward tug at her arm.

"Bella, come on…inside." Edward told her.

"What is it?" Bella looked up at Edward.

"The wolves followed the jeep." Edward's eyes darted along the woods near the house.

"What?" Bella felt as though she had been punched in the gut. On instinct, she pulled J.J. closer to her chest. The baby seemed to shutter at its mother's cold skin.

"Don't worry about it, Bella…" Emmett told her as he moved out of the house with Jasper and Carlisle right behind him.

"We've got it covered." Jasper finished Emmett's sentence.

Bella just nodded, allowing Edward to move her and J.J. into the house where Esme and Alice greeted them, gathering the mother and child up and moving them deeper into the house, where they would be safer.


	36. Wolves Show Up

Disclaimer: All characters and things associated with The Twilight Saga belong to Stephanie Meyers. This writing is for pure entertainment only.

Summary: Set during New Moon. After Edward leaves, Bella is miserable and Jacob is there for her until things go too far between them, leaving Bella in an unexpected condition. When Edward returns how will Bella explain her situation to him? B/E B/J pairings

**Chapter 36**

Edward, Jasper, Emmett, and Carlisle stood outside the cabin, guarding the front steps to the house, all four standing as still as statues. They were waiting for the wolves to show up.

"Are they near?" Carlisle glanced at Edward.

Edward continued to stare at the woods ahead. "I don't know. I don't know how many of them are coming. I can't hear any thoughts yet…"

"We only saw one in the car…" Emmett's eyes grazed over the woods in front of him. "Not even sure who it was."

"We will be ready for them." Jasper said, with certainty in his voice.

"If they become too many, you will have to get J.J. and Bella out of here, Edward." Carlisle said.

Edward nodded, taking a deep unneeded breath. It was the last thing he wanted to do, to abandon his family, but he knew if he had any chance of keeping Bella and J.J. safe there was a good chance that they would have to run for it. He just hoped it didn't come to that.

* * *

Bella sat with J.J. in her arms as Esme, Rosalie, and Alice crowded around the front window of the large living room, their eyes glued to the men outside of the house. Aside from J.J.'s steady heartbeat, and constantly breathing, there was not a sound in the room. It was as if four statues had been placed there.

"Are you sure there was only one wolf, Rose?" Bella breathed after a moment. She couldn't take the silence.

"That was all I saw, but once I saw him Emmett really hit the gas…" Rosalie turned to Bella, almost apologizing. "There could have been more."

"If there is more, what are they going to do?" Bella bounced J.J. in her arms as she pointed, with her chin, toward the men outside.

"They are going to…handle it." Alice said, knowing exactly what Jasper would do if he needed to. Jasper was trained for battle and he would protect his own.

"I don't like how that sounds…" Bella said, honestly. "Jacob…"

"Jacob doesn't have any control over what he does in wolf-form…." Alice cut in. "If his alpha orders something…"

Bella face dropped; she knew that was true, but she never actually thought any of the Cullen's would hurt Jacob. Clearly, she had been wrong.

Esme could see the worry on Bella's face and turned calmly to the newest vampire. "Bella, don't worry about it…I am sure the boys will do everything in their power to get Jacob back into his human form…"

Bella just nodded, lapsing back into silence as she looked down at J.J. He was a spitting image of Jacob and she couldn't imagine him never knowing his true father, or being proud of his Native American blood.

* * *

Jasper was the first one to see the wolf's shadow immerge from the woods. He quickly stood up straight, his thoughts flying so fast it was hard for even Edward to catch them. Clearly, Jasper was looking for more wolves and coming up with a plan.

As the wolf came into view, however, Edward quickly realized he needed to stop Emmett and Jasper before either of them did something stupid. Both of their thoughts were only of killing the wolf already.

Before Edward could say anything, however, Emmett and Jasper had locked eyes and seemingly read each other's thoughts, lunging at the wolf.

"Stop! Its Jacob." Edward said out loud.

Jasper and Emmett turned to Edward in confusion, though they stopped from attacking the red wolf

"You are certain, Edward?" Carlisle asked, though he knew himself it was Jacob. Jacob had very distinct coloring for a wolf.

"Yes." Edward nodded, moving swiftly toward Jacob's wolf form, and noticing he was already badly injured.

"Damn it." Emmett grumbled, stepping back from Jacob. He knew Jacob was not the enemy.

"He's injured." Carlisle was behind Edward now, standing over Jacob's wolf form. "I need to fix him…"

"Jacob, switch back to your human form…" Edward said, towering over the damaged wolf.

_I don't know if I can. It hurts too much…_Jacob's thoughts seemed to cry in Edward's head.

"You need to, Jacob." Edward told him. "Otherwise Carlisle can't help you."

_Alright._ Jacob concentrated, trying his best to slip back into his human form, despite the awful pain coming from his midsection.

A second later, a naked Jacob lay on the floor. It was apparent to Carlisle instantly that Jacob's two right ribs were already broken. Jasper and Emmett had done some real damage in such a short amount of time.

* * *

Bella knew it was Jacob the second the red wolf moved out of the forest. She did not hear her thoughts to recognize her best friend. She quickly handed J.J. off to Rosalie, not thinking twice, and moved toward the door.

"Bella what are you doing?" Alice beat Bella to it.

"That's Jake…" Bella pointed out the window, but the second she did, she saw Emmett and Jasper attack. "No!"

Everything else happened in a blur. The next thing Bella could see through the window was Jacob lying naked in a heap. She quickly turned to the bag Emmett had put on the floor when he and Rosalie had arrived back from watching J.J. and grabbed a pair of Emmett's jeans before pushing past Alice, who did not try to stop her this time.

Bella rushed out of the house, jeans in hand, and made it to Jacob just in time to see her best friend, and the father of her child, rolling on the floor in pain. She looked frantically to Edward.

"He's broken some ribs…" Edward understood what Bella was asking without her having to say the words.

"Jake?" Bella called softly to her injured friend.

Jacob grinned slightly up through the pain. "Bella…"

"Emmett…put these on him…" Bella chucked the jeans at Emmett who looked down at them as if he didn't know what to do. However, after a second, he did, with the help of Jasper, slide the jeans onto Jacob.

"We should get him inside…" Carlisle spoke. "I can examine him better that way."

"Jake? Can you move?" Bella asked.

"I…yeah…I think…" Jacob said, wincing a bit as Edward, Emmett, Jasper, and Carlisle carefully picked him up, moving him toward the house as Bella bounced along side of him, her eyes full of concern. That was when Jacob noticed it, Bella's eyes were not brown anymore; they were bright red. "Bella…your eyes…"

Bella looked surprised slightly. Jacob would notice such a thing when he was so hurt. "Oh…yeah…I…well Edward…"

"She's a vampire." Emmett smirked up at Jacob as he supported the wolf over his shoulder.

A flash of hurt moved across Jacob's face before turning to resolve. It was final; that was it. He had officially lost Bella now. She was one of them and now the only fight he had left was for his son; to keep J.J. safe.

* * *

Sam moved swiftly on the trail of Jacob, and as hard as anyone else from the pack tried to fight against him, they could not. He was the Alpha; he was their leader. As they hurried on Jacob's trail, Sam was growing furious.

_Pick up the pace, Seth._ Sam's thoughts ordered.

Though he wanted to slow them down, Seth's paws obeyed and increased in stride.

_This is wrong._ Embry thought. _If Jacob trusts them we should too._

_Jacob is blinded by what he feels for Bella. He can't make a rational decision._ Sam thought.

_It's his kid._ Paul joined in for the first time to fight against Sam.

_Paul, shut up._ Jared sneered at his friend. He wasn't sure if Sam was completely correct, but he knew Sam always had the pack and the tribes best interest at heart, and if Sam believed Jacob's child was a threat, he was probably right.

_Jacob is blinded by his love for his child. It is a shame this is how things must be, but that child is not safe._ Sam said, almost sadly. He could understand the love for a child; and although he didn't see it, the thought of taking Jacob's child from him was a burden. Still, Sam had to look at the safety of the tribe; and Jacob's child threatened them.

As the pack continued to move, Jacob's scent grew stronger, and suddenly, Sam could see smoke in a distant clearing as the air smelled of vampires. He knew they were close to where the Cullen's were staying.

* * *

Carlisle quickly patched Jacob up in his office as Bella buzzed worriedly around her best friend and father of her child. She was relieved to see that Jacob seemed to already be healing, she had been worried Emmett and Jasper had really hurt him.

"That should do it." Carlisle finally said. "Though I don't suggest you phase anytime soon, Jacob. It may damage what I fixed already…"

Jacob nodded, groaning a bit as he sat up. His ribs still hurt, though he knew they were not broken any longer. "Not a problem…"

"Jake? What happened?" Bella moved forward now, gently touching his arm.

Bella's could fingers caused Jacob to flinch. He did not like the thought of Bella being dead, her scent now bothered him in ways he had never thought possible. Still, even with red eyes, he could see his best friend.

"How's J.J.?" Jacob asked, changing the subject.

"He's fine…" Edward slowly entered the room, cradling a gurgling J.J. in his arms.

Jacob felt his heartbreak at how comfortable Edward was holding J.J. After all, it wasn't Edward's son, but aside from the complete color in skin pigment, both Edward and J.J. looked comfortable with each other.

Bella smiled, gently taking J.J. out of Edward's arms.

Edward glanced at Jacob, reading Jacob's thoughts of sadness, and knew he needed to give Jacob some time with his son. Edward gently kissed Bella, whispering in her ear. "I'll be right outside…"

Bella nodded, smiling gratefully at Edward for trusting Jacob with her, though she could easily see why he would now. Edward was no longer competing with Jacob. Bella was now Edward's forever. She watched as Edward left and then turned back to Jacob, whose eyes were focused on J.J.

"Do you want to hold him?" Bella asked. She knew Jacob had only seen her son once, a few weeks ago.

Jacob nodded, gently taking J.J. in his arms. He couldn't believe how much the child had changed in just a few short weeks. J.J. seemed more alert then ever, his big brown eyes burning into Jacob, and his dark hair had filled in ever more. There were hardly any traces of Bella in his features at all, except for the heart-shaped face. J.J. did have that.

"He got big, didn't he?" Bella asked, sitting down next to Jacob.

Jacob nodded, amazed. "He's beautiful."

Bella nodded, proud of her son. "He is."

There was silence for a moment as Jacob was mesmerized with J.J. and Bella was mesmerized with Jacob holding J.J.

After a long moment, Jacob spoke. "I did the right thing…leaving you two with Edward…"

Bella nodded. She knew it had been the most unselfish thing Jacob had ever done; he had given up his own son to his enemy just to keep him safe.

Jacob sighed, his eyes still on J.J. "The pack's coming…I managed to break away but…I am on my own."

"How did you do that?" Bella asked, curious. "I thought Sam had power over you…"

"He did." Jacob said, sighing a bit but deciding not to tell Bella he himself had become an alpha. It didn't matter anyway. "I managed…but they are close…they want to end all of this."

Bella just nodded, not really knowing what else to say she allowed a comfortable silence to fill between her best friend, her son, and herself. She knew, Edward and the rest of the Cullen's were in a near room and had heard all Jacob had said.

* * *

Edward glanced at Carlisle, Esme, Rosalie, Emmett, Alice, and Jasper. Bella had been right; they had heard every word Jacob had said about the wolves, and Edward had also read Jacob's thoughts, knowing Jacob had become his own Alpha. He, however, would not spill Jacob's secret.

"So what do we do?" Emmett asked. "I mean, you heard Jacob…the wolves are close…"

"We could run again." Esme suggested.

Edward shook his head. "We can't run forever…"

"But maybe a little longer…until Jacob is strong and J.J. is older…" Rosalie suggested.

The suggestion shocked Edward. Never, in a million years, would he have suspected her to include Jacob in any of their plans. He assumed it was because she had grown so close to J.J.; she now felt close to Jacob.

"Running wouldn't work anyway…" Alice said softly; she had drifted over to the window now.

All eyes were on Alice, in confusion, as she turned back to the group, her face even more pale then usual.

"What is it, Alice?" Jasper asked, concern in his voice.

Alice simply moved aside, so that the other six vampires could see the shadows of half a dozen large wolves making their way through the woods toward the cabin. All of the Cullen's knew instantly; they had run out of time to run, they would have to fight now.


	37. The Battle

Disclaimer: All characters and things associated with The Twilight Saga belong to Stephanie Meyers. This writing is for pure entertainment only.

Summary: Set during New Moon. After Edward leaves, Bella is miserable and Jacob is there for her until things go too far between them, leaving Bella in an unexpected condition. When Edward returns how will Bella explain her situation to him? B/E B/J pairings

**Chapter 37**

Edward moved quickly into Carlisle's office, his mind racing. He found Bella and Jacob sitting on the edge of Carlisle's desk, J.J. in Jacob's arms. He stopped short in the door causing the two parents to glance up at him.

Bella moved to Edward's side in half a second, using her new vampire speed. She could see it on Edward's face, something was wrong; his expression was scaring her.

"What is it?" Bella locked her red eyes on Edward's golden ones as she stood in front of him, her cold hands on his cold arms.

Edward looked away from Bella, his eyes locking on Jacob. "They…they are here."

"Who?" Bella asked as Jacob stood up behind her in anger.

"The pack." Jacob answered, handing J.J back to Bella and sniffing the air. He could smell his brothers. They were close.

"What?" Bella looked back to Edward for confirmation.

Edward nodded, still looking at Jacob, thou his hand had moved to Bella's shoulder. "They just got here."

"We need to fight." Jacob said simply, his mind was set. He could die for J.J. if he needed to.

"You can't help." Edward told Jacob, reading the werewolves thoughts. His voice was not angry or proud as he spoke to Jacob, it was simple. He wasn't asking Jacob anything; he was just stating a fact.

"I have to." Jacob's voice was alive, a mix of anger and fear. He didn't understand why Edward would want to stop him. "I don't have a choice…"

"You can't even phase." Edward reminded Jacob. "You would be slaughtered."

"It doesn't matter." Jacob's eyes fell to J.J. and he knew instantly that protecting his son, giving his son the chance to live, was all that mattered. He knew now, the Cullen's meant the child no harm, not like the tribe did, not like the pack did. J.J. would be better off where he was, and Jacob would do all he could to make sure his son lived.

Edward read Jacob's thoughts and stepped away from Bella, placing a hand on Jacob's shoulder. He was surprised when the wolf did not flinch. "Jacob, you did your part. Now let us do ours. J.J. should know his father…his real father…he should know you. Dying today won't let him do that…"

Jacob glanced up at Edward, his jaw set. "I'll do whatever it takes to protect him."

"Then stay here. Let us do this…you have his whole life to protect him, and you've already done so much." Edward said, meaning every word. He knew he and Jacob were on the same side, they both cared about Bella and J.J.

Jacob said nothing, but his thoughts did not reflect he was thinking any differently then Edward, which was a relief to the bronze-haired vampire.

"What…what are we going to do?" Bella asked.

Edward turned to the woman he loved, the woman who had become a vampire to be with him. She was beautiful.

"you and Jacob stay in here..." Edward glanced back at Jacob. "Get ready to run."

"What?" Bella did not like the sound of that plan.

Jacob, however, just nodded. He could not argue that moving J.J. away from the cabin was a bad move at all.

* * *

Sam, in wolf form, howled loudly. He could smell Jacob's sent as well as the sent of vampire's all over the place though there seemed to be one problem. He could only hear two heartbeats coming from inside the cabin. That meant either Bella, Jacob, or J.J. was missing. Sam turned to see the rest of the pack on his flanks, though none of them looked truly happy to be there.

_Keep an eye out. Jacob may be in the woods. I can't hear three heartbeats inside. _Sam thought.

Seth liked the sound of that. It meant that Jacob could potentially be waiting to attack. Seth hoped he would, and would do it too quickly for Sam to order any of them to do anything about it. Seth did not want to be forced to stop Jacob.

_Shut up, Seth._ Embry's thoughts growled as he eyed the smaller wolf.

Seth realized his thoughts had been heard by the whole pack, and Sam was snarling at him.

_We move now. This is our moment._ Sam thought.

The rest of the pack tried to fight his will. They knew he was certain of the moves they were about to make, but none of the other wolves could be sure anymore. Now that they were standing there, ready to slaughter one of their own pack members, it seemed like a bad dream that they all just wanted to wake up from.

* * *

Emmett, Jasper, Alice, Carlisle, and Esme moved swiftly toward the front door, followed by Edward and Bella, who was holding J.J.. Jacob and Rosalie took up the rear.

"We can take them. There isn't many of them." Emmett said, looking out the window.

"There is five of them." Jacob said.

"Excellent. There are eight of us." Emmett grinned.

"Jacob's not fighting. Neither is Bella." Edward said.

"What? Why?" Emmett glanced Jacob over.

"He's hurt. He wouldn't be able to phase. It would just be a liability." Carlisle explained.

"Well, still six of us…" Emmett said.

"I'm not fighting either." Rosalie spoke up.

Emmett glanced over at his soul mate. "What?"

"J.J. needs protection…" Rosalie said, but sounded unsure as she glanced over at Bella.

Bella nodded quickly. She liked the idea of having another supernatural person with her, since she was still unbelievably new at the whole vampire thing, and Jacob was hurt. The more people who would protect J.J. the better.

"That's a better plan." Edward nodded. He liked it as well. "If anything happens to us…you all need to move."

"Move before something happens." Jasper said, his back rigid. "If we look like we are going to lose…"

"Nothing's going to happen." Bella told her new family though the nerves could be heard in her voice.

"Sam is looking for the kill…" Jacob glanced down at J.J. who was nestled in Bella's now cold arms. "He wants J.J. dead, and he will kill anyone who gets in the way."

"Comforting…" Alice smiled sarcastically.

"But…the rest of the pack doesn't seem to want to fight…at least I don't think they do." Jacob added.

"So why do they?" Emmett asked.

"Sam's orders. He is there alpha. What he says goes even if they don't agree with it." Jacob said, glancing out the window to see Sam howling.

"But Sam's your alpha as well…how did you get away?" Jasper asked, curious.

"Sam was never my real alpha. I am my own alpha. I should have been the alpha of them…" Jacob jerked his head in the direction of the wolves. "But I_ let_ Sam…"

"But you broke his hold on you…" Edward was reading Jacob's thoughts.

"Yes." Jacob nodded. "The others tried, but it was too late to follow me. If he makes them fight, they will fight, but they won't like it."

"You know we may have to kill one of them…" Emmett said what no one else would.

Jacob nodded, his eyes falling to the ground. "I know."

"But we will try our best not to." Esme spoke quickly, glaring at her family members as a warning.

Jacob laughed a little bitterly. "You're too kind to me…but this is my son we are talking about…" Jacob's eyes moved to J.J. "Do whatever it takes to keep him safe."

"We will." Edward told Jacob. "And you do the same…"

"Can't do much side-lined…" Jacob said, bitterly.

"J.J. _will_ need his father." Edward placed a hand on Jacob's shoulder. He knew it was important he be the one to say that to Jacob. "And that's who you are."

Bella smiled lovingly at Edward, though her thoughts were broken up by Sam's loud growls. Her eyes shifted nervously to the wolves outside, then back to Edward. His usually golden eyes were now black, and burning with everything he did not need to say to Bella. It was as if they had a full conversation in the amount of two seconds, and neither moved their mouths. Bella knew, by the look on Edward's face alone, that he loved her more then anything in the world, and that he would do whatever it would take to keep her safe, even if it meant risking his own existence. Instantly, Bella shot forward, gathering Edward in a hug.

Edward hugged Bella back, though carefully since J.J. was now positioned between them. He pulled them both in for a hug and kissed Bella passionately.

"You come back to me…" Bella seemed to command, her voice a whisper.

"Always." Edward kissed Bella once more on the head before turning back to his family. "Lets go."

Everyone nodded and followed Edward out of the house, flanking him on each side as Rosalie closed the door behind them and turned to see Bella, with J.J. in her arms, and Jacob, nervously watching out the window. Rosalie then turned to watch as well.

* * *

Sam growled again as the Cullen's emerged from the house, his eyes darting over the forms of the six vampires.

_They are a few down._ Sam thought, almost excited. He could instantly see Bella was missing and so was the blonde one, though he knew Bella would not fight. As far as he knew she was human.

_Doesn't mean anything._ Seth spoke up, and he hoped he was right. He was ready to die if he had to, and he would do his best to refrain from following Sam's orders, though he knew it would be practically impossible.

"Its alright, Seth." Edward spoke calmly. He could read their thoughts, and he knew Seth wanted more then anything to be on Jacob's side. He felt sorry for the young wolf.

_Don't speak to him! _Sam's thoughts screamed at Edward.

"Fine, then I want to speak to you." Edward said to Sam, equally as calmly.

_There's nothing to speak about._ Sam told Edward. _I've come for that child…give him to us and we won't rip you into pieces._

"I'm not giving you one hair from that baby's head." Edward spoke loudly.

Emmett growled next to Edward, only able to guess what Sam had requested of his brother.

_Sam, talk to him…_Paul thought.

Edward was surprised. He had been certain Paul would be one of the few ready to kill the Cullen's.

_There is no reason to talk._ Sam growled at Paul.

"What are they talking about?" Alice leaned closely to Edward to ask.

"They are arguing. None of them want to hurt J.J." Edward said so quickly that his mouth hardly seemed to move at all.

"That is good for us." Carlisle said under his breath. He had heart Edward as had the rest of the Cullen's.

Edward shook his head. "No. They won't have a choice…"

"Sam…" Esme's voice spoke up, startling everyone, including the wolves.

Sam turned his big black to face Esme, her golden eyes pleading with his black ones. He growled at her. _What does she want?_

Edward turned to his mother, unsure of what she was doing. "He wants to know what you want."

"I want him to show some compassion. That is a little child that you want so desperately to kill. A baby; he can't even defend himself. How could you take an innocent life like that?" Esme said, passion filling her voice as she motioned to the house behind her.

Edward glanced at Carlisle who was watching his wife with a sharp eye. He knew what she was trying to do, as did Edward, who could read her thoughts. She was playing the mother-card in full force, and she was good at it, because she believed every word she was saying.

_He's not innocent._ Sam growled.

"He says that J.J. isn't innocent." Edward told Esme.

"How could you say that?" Esme asked. "He's hardly been alive two months…he's a new born. He has done nothing to anyone, except brought love into our home."

"He can say it because he's a dick." Emmett responded to Esme's question.

Sam growled at Emmett, baring his teeth.

"Or a coward." Alice added. "Only a coward would take an innocent life."

_He is an abomination._ Sam's thoughts screamed.

"No. He isn't." Edward knew there was no way to reason with Sam now, the wolves thoughts were too rapid. He stepped toward Sam. "And if you would just take a minute to see that."

_Stand down, bloodsucker._ Sam growled. _We just want the child._

"You can't have him." Edward said, his eyes black as he continued to walk toward the big wolf.

_Sam, please..._ Embry's thoughts pleaded.

Sam glared at Embry, and then, as if it were punishment, gave Embry the order first. _Embry…attack._

Embry's knees buckled as he tried to fight the pull Sam's orders had over him, but he could not, and soon, Embry found himself racing full forced at Edward Cullen, who seemed ready for the wolf.

* * *

Bella held J.J. close to her chest as she watched the Cullen's and the wolves from the window of the large cabin. J.J. was awake, but silent, as if he knew it was not the time to be screaming his head off. Jacob and Rosalie stood silently next to the mother and child, all watching out the window as a wolf charged ahead.

"Damn it! He must have ordered Embry to attack!" Jacob slammed his fist down on the windowsill. He recognized the wolf charging at Emmett, and knew Embry would never do such a thing without being forced. Embry had stood by him since the beginning.

"What?" Bella was shocked as the rest of the wolves went after the Cullen's.

"They are trying to fight it." Jacob could see now that only Sam was really fighting at full force. The rest of the wolves were trying their best to ignore his alpha orders, though Jacob knew that was impossible for them to do.

"What does that even mean?" Rosalie asked, watching as Sam circled Edward.

"It means someone is going to get killed. The wolves are trying not to fight, but they can't fight Sam's orders…it just means they will be forced to fight against their will, the more they fight that, the more vulnerable they are to the vampires…" Jacob explained.

"Edward can hear their thoughts. He will know they aren't trying to fight." Bella assured Jacob.

"It won't matter." Jacob said, noticing that Sam had Edward alone. "Because Sam is fighting in full force…" Jacob knew that Edward was in trouble. All of the other Cullen's were occupied with wolves that didn't want to fight and it seemed more then they were really able to handle. Jacob did not know what Sam would do to Edward if given the chance.

Bella could see Edward being cornered by Sam and she felt herself pull J.J. unusually close. "Edward…"

"I've got it." Jacob said before Bella or Rosalie could stop him. He bolted toward the front door, jerking it open.

"Jacob! No!" Bella chased after him, but Rosalie grabbed her, pulling her away from the opened front door and slamming the door.

"Bella! You can't help him! You need to keep J.J. safe!" Rosalie struggled against the new vampire for a moment.

Bella knew Rosalie was right, but she didn't care. Now Edward and Jacob were in trouble. She couldn't lose them both, she jerked against Rosalie's grasp and opened the door, stepping out onto the front porch with J.J. in her hand just in time to see Edward get taken down by Sam.

"Edward!" Bella screamed.

All eyes turned to see Bella on the porch, clutching J.J. and Rosalie stepping out behind her. Silence fell among the fighting wolves and vampires for a split second.

And it only took Jacob a second. Despite the fact that it felt like his broken bones were being re-shattered, she phased into his wolf form, crashing down on top of Sam's dark wolf-body and ripping the black wolf off of Edward, tossing him fiercely against a tree.

Sam lost his concentration for a split second and it was enough for the rest of the wolves to break from his Alpha command and phase back into their human forms, tossing their clothes on quickly as they and the vampires all turned their eyes to Sam and Jacob. Sam was snarling, gathering his wolf form up and Jacob was growling back, placing himself between the pack, the Cullen's, and more important between Sam and Bella with J.J. in her arms.

"Jacob, no!" Edward scrambled to his feet. He could read Jacobs' thoughts. He knew what Jacob was going to do, and he knew it wouldn't end well.

But Jacob's mind was made up before Edward stood a chance of stopping him and Jacob lunged at Sam, jaws chomping. A second later, the cracking of bones could be heard for what seemed like miles and a whimpering Jacob was thrown aside like a ragdoll.


	38. The Strength to Carry On

Disclaimer: All characters and things associated with The Twilight Saga belong to Stephanie Meyers. This writing is for pure entertainment only.

Summary: Set during New Moon. After Edward leaves, Bella is miserable and Jacob is there for her until things go too far between them, leaving Bella in an unexpected condition. When Edward returns how will Bella explain her situation to him? B/E B/J pairings

**Chapter 38**

Jacob fell in a heap on the floor, and the scent of blood permeated the air. Even Sam seemed shocked to watch Jacob fall so quickly and the black wolf backed away from the red one slowly. No one moved for what seemed like hours, though it was really only a few seconds. Edward was the first to react, rushing to Jacob's side. By the time he got there, Jacob was no longer in wolf form, but rather back in his human form, bleeding horribly from the neck, a huge bite mark on his jugular.

"Jacob…" Edward knelt by the wounded werewolf. He placed his cold hand against Jacob's wound, though it did not stop the blood flow. Edward knew instantly, Jacob had mere moments left.

"Bel..l…a…" Jacob struggled, choking on his own blood.

Edward nodded, not taking his eyes off of Jacob. "Bella?"

Bella rushed forward, handing J.J. to Rosalie. Carlisle was close on her heels. When Bella reached Jacob, she wanted to cry, though she knew she could not. She instantly collapsed onto her knees, gathering Jacob's hand in her own.

Carlisle took Edward's spot, holding Jacob's wounded neck together. "He's losing too much blood."

"Carlisle, do something!" Bella was frantic.

"Is he okay?" Seth emerged from the woods, dressed and frantic, with Embry, Paul, and Jared on his heels.

Sam stood far off, also in his human form, stunned by the scene in front of him.

"Stay back, Seth." Edward grabbed the youngest werewolf and held him firm as Seth began to shake in his grasp. He had seen Jacob and the puddle of blood under his neck, and he knew there was a chance he would lose his pack member, his brother.

"Jake!" Seth cried as Embry, Paul, and Jared stood next to him, shocked.

"Jacob…" Bella held his hand in her own. "Stay with us…Carlisle will fix you…"

Carlisle let out a sigh that only Bella heard. He could not save Jacob and he knew it, there was nothing he could do for the wolf.

"B…e…l…" Jacob tried again.

"Shhh…Jake, don't talk…" Bella said in a soothing, yet shaking voice.

"I..lo..ve you…an…d….J…J…" Jacob struggled on his words.

"Jake, please…" Bella did not want him to waste his energy.

"He wants you to know that, Bella. He needed to say it out loud." Edward was reading Jacob's thoughts now.

_I can't talk anymore. Tell her I am so sorry for everything…tell her to tell J.J. I am sorry I'm not going to be here…_Jacob's thoughts spoke to Edward and Edward knew Jacob had accepted that he would die soon.

"He says to tell J.J. he wishes he could be there for him." Edward told Bella. He would not let Jacob apologize for only wanting what was best for Bella, for only trying to keep Bella safe.

Tell her I'm sorry…Jacob's thoughts seemed angry.

"No. You have no reason to be." Edward spoke aloud to Jacob.

_Don't be proud, Edward. I'm sorry for trying to take her from you…please…be good to J.J. in all the ways I couldn't be good to you._ Jacob's eyes looked away from Bella and now were glue to Edward. _Please._

Edward only nodded. He knew it was enough for Jacob, and he knew he would honor Jacob's request because it was the easiest thing the wolf could ask him. Edward already loved J.J. like a son.

"Carlisle, do something." Bella begged.

"I…I can't, Bella." Carlisle seemed defeated. "There's nothing…"

Jacob turned his eyes back to Bella and gave her a small, kind smile. The kind of smile that Jacob had always worn before he had become a wolf, before things had become complicated between himself and Bella, and in that moment, with that smile, Bella felt as if things were back to the way they had always been. It was just her and Jacob, and they were best friends.

Bella returned a smile to Jacob. It was all she could do, as her eyes threatened to well up with tears that would never spill.

It didn't take long after that for Jacob's smile to fade and his brown eyes, always so full of life, to suddenly glaze over.

"Jake…" Bella whispered, but she knew it was too late. He was gone. "I love you too…" And she meant it. She had loved Jacob, and she always would.

"Is he…" Paul started, but couldn't finish his thoughts.

"He's gone." Edward said simply. He stepped forward and pulled a shaking Bella away from the corpse.

"Jake!" Embry fell to his knees. His best friend lay dead a few feet from him.

Seth was the first of the pack to turn and glare at Sam who seemed to back further into the forest. He had never meant to kill Jacob.

"Was it worth it?" Seth stepped toward Sam. "Was killing Jake worth it?"

"I didn't want this to happen…" Sam took a step backwards.

Paul, Jared, and Embry followed Seth, standing behind the youngest wolf as if he were their alpha.

"You're dead." Embry said, his eyes full of tears.

"Run." Seth gave Sam the chance to take off and Sam didn't turn it down.

Sam quickly sprinted off into the woods. A second later, the rest of the pack, behind Seth, were in wolf form and chasing Sam.

"Should we stop them?" Jasper spoke up after a moment.

"They won't kill Sam. They want to let the tribe judge him." Edward said with certainty. He could read Seth's thoughts as he held Bella close to his chest. He knew she was silently and tearlessly sobbing and he wished he could fix things for her, but he knew he could not. She had lost her best friend, J.J. had lost his father, and the pack had been torn apart.

No one had won.

* * *

It had been seventeen years since Jacob's death and things had never really gone back to normal for anyone. The pack had caught up with Sam and brought him back to the tribe, where the elders decided to throw Sam off of the tribes land. Seth had become the new Alpha.

The Cullen's had moved back to Forks until J.J. was five, and then moved to Alaska before relocating to a small town near Portland, Oregon when J.J. was ready to attend High School.

That was three years earlier, Bella recalled as she moved into J.J.'s room to wake up her son for his first day of his senior year of high school.

"Jay…get up…" Bella shook her son awake, though everyone at their high school thought she was his half sister considering they looked nearly the same age.

"Mmm…ten more minutes…" J.J. mumbled in his sleep.

"Get up, bud. Don't make her ask again." Edward stuck his head into J.J.'s room. He had quickly filled the role of father to J.J. and he was forever grateful for giving both himself and Bella the gift of J.J.

"Alright, alright…jeez…" J.J. sat up rubbing his eyes and grinning at Bella. He looked identical to J.J., except that his skin was a little lighter and his eyes belonged to Bella. Everything else about him was Jacob, and Bella was grateful for it. He was like an eternal reminder of her best friend.

"Be downstairs in ten minutes." Bella gave J.J. a playful swat, knowing that even with her vampire strength, it would not hurt her son. He had phased six years earlier, probably because he had grown up around vampires, and was even more muscular then Jacob had been.

"Sure…" J.J. rolled his eyes as he watched Bella give Edward a kiss before sliding past her husband. She had married Edward when J.J. was two.

"Seriously get your butt down there. You know how she gets when we are late." Edward grinned at J.J.

"Yeah, yeah. I hear you, dad…" J.J. grinned back at Edward.

Edward nodded and moved out the door and down the stairs. J.J. had been calling him "dad" since he had started talking, though J.J. knew all about Jacob and knew Edward was not really his father, he had continued to call Edward that, because in every way possible, Edward was his dad. Edward couldn't deny that he liked J.J. referring to him as his dad. It made him feel important.

"What are you thinking about, Mr. Cullen?" Bella moved forward when Edward entered the kitchen, wrapping her arms around his tone waist and leaving the big breakfast she was cooking J.J. on the stove.

"Just J.J…I can't believe its his first day of his senior year…" Edward said, though he knew they would have plenty of more first day's with J.J. He would never age because he would always shift, as long as he was around the Cullen's, unless he chose to stop one day.

"I know. Time flies…" Bella agreed, moving back to the stove of their small cottage. They had decided to get their own home when they moved to Oregon, though the rest of the Cullen's lived next door.

"It does. And you've done a great job, Mrs. Cullen." Edward wrapped his arms around Bella's waist and kissed the top of her head. "You're an incredible mom, did you know that?"

"Well, thank you…" Bella turned to kiss Edward.

"Yeah, great…stop making out." J.J. grinned as he entered the kitchen.

"Don't be a smartass…" Bella teased her son.

J.J. moved to the refrigerator and grabbed the milk, guzzling it down. "So are we going to Washington this weekend?"

"Yeah." Edward nodded, still holding Bella's waist. Every few months they would travel back to Washington so that J.J. could see Billy and Charlie and the pack who all made a point of exposing J.J. to as much as possible about being a werewolf.

"Sweet. Charlie got us tickets to the Seahawk's game." J.J. glanced at Edward. "I…I don't want you to be mad, dad, but do you think I could take Uncle Seth instead of you to this game? It is close to his birthday."

"Not a problem." Edward said. "I've seen plenty of baseball games in my day."

"I bet…you are like…five million years old…" J.J. teased.

"Be nice." Bella warned.

"Sure, sure." J.J. nodded and grinned, the same grin that Jacob used to give Bella. "Come on, lets get to school."

Bella nodded as she and Edward followed J.J. out of the cottage. J.J. moved to his motorcycle while Bella and Edward moved to Edward's Volvo. J.J. had been riding his motorcycle since he had first learned to drive, because Edward had shown J.J. a picture of Jacob on his motorcycle from years earlier, and J.J. wanted nothing more then to be like Jacob from that day on.

As Bella watched J.J. whip himself down the driveway on the motorcycle, her thoughts drifted to Jacob. She missed her best friend more then anything, but she was so grateful that he had given her J.J. and kept J.J. safe. She also knew that Jacob would have been so proud of the man J.J. had become.


	39. Playlist

**While You Were Missing Playlist**

1. Like You – Evanescence

2. Fugitive – David Gray

3. This is Us – Backstreet Boys

4. Heaven Forbid – The Fray

5. Be Yourself - Audioslave

6. Diary of Jane – Breaking Benjamin

7. You're Breaking My Heart Again – Aqualung

8. Angels Losing Sleep – Our Lady Peace

9. Permanent – David Cook

10. Mr. Winter – The Maine

11. What the Water Gave Me – Florence + The Machine

12. If The World Crashes Down – Enrique Iglesias

13. May I – Trading Yesterday

14. Absolute – The Fray

15. Way Away – Yellowcard

16. Beloved – Tenth Avenue North

17. If This is Goodbye – Lifehouse

18. The War Is Over – Trust Company

19. Sigh No More – Mumford & Sons

20. This Life – Bruce Springsteen


End file.
